Stray
by CassieKnight
Summary: An alternate ending for Darth Maul and how he copes with his failures, not to mention how he tries to keep his pride as a Sith unaltered. Please R&R.
1. I

**Author's Note: **First of all, this is my first Star Wars fic, so there are bound to be mistakes. I do understand that some stuff is different, such as lightsaber wounds, that I have perhaps documented incorrectly, but I did what I did on purpose to fit the story ;) Also, realize some chapters are shorter than others only because I didn't think they fit anywhere else. I tried very hard to keep Darth Maul in character, and did as much research on him as I could--including reading the two books based on him, but I will admit ahead of time there might be flaws in that as well. Only useful and gentle critisms allowed, but if you don't like it, don't bother reading it. This is fanfiction, remember, and I'm able to do what I want. Also, I had abondoned this for nearly a month, so I warn you if something is found that is inconsistant with the rest of the story XD...sorry :)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing...George Lucas is the brilliant mind behind Darth Maul, Darth Sidious, the Jedi and so forth--I take claim to one or two characters here and there...but they can't match up to the sheer wonder George Lucas brings out in his movies.

Alright...enough of my useless babble...onward!

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**_Stray_**

**I.**

Excitement and rage combined to create a power that was so intoxicating it was almost too much; almost. Nothing else mattered, nothing else was there; it was all about the present, the here-and-now, and he was going to live every moment in high glory and bask in the upcoming success. This was the moment he had been waiting for his whole life, the one thing he had been training for endlessly. He was so into it he lost track of how it started exactly, but that didn't matter now. Nothing did as he swung around his double-ended lightsaber, the harsh red-glow clashing against the opposing blue and green ones that attacked.

Darth Maul, a man of his mid-twenties, knew this was the best he'd ever be in his life and he was proving himself against not one, but two Jedi. It had been a constant thought of taking one single Jedi, no matter which one and striking he or she down with the power he had always dreamed would be his. Now was this chance; the moment had come and it would only intensify as he backed into an unknown-room with a large metal pit in the center. The Jedi he was going at now was the elder of the two, the other having been stopped by a barrier at the entrance of the room for a short while.

It didn't matter either way. Maul knew he could take them both at the same time—he had been for at least five minutes until they were each separated by the laser barrier-walls in the hall. He could sense the Jedi was tiring, though. His reflexes were slower and he gripped his lightsaber tightly with both hands, sweat forming on every angle of his face. Maul smiled widely to himself as he danced his lightsaber against that of his opponent. The Jedi paused as he came down with a fierce swing, but Maul counter-attacked it, using one end of his weapon to push the Jedi away. The attack was finished, his goal was met in an instant; the other end of his lightsaber rose up in a flash, giving the Jedi no time to react in his tiring state, leaving him vulnerable to the laser-stick of the red lightsaber to push through his mid-section.

Maul pulled it out after a short second, his smirk almost invisible amongst the red and black tattoos that elegantly covered his face. His yellow eyes looked over his prey, now lying on the ground helplessly, struggling to take his last breaths. In the background Maul heard a sharp cry, the other Jedi yelling, "No!" as his master fell. In time, the boy would meet the same fate.

Maul turned, his strong, booted feet carrying him left to right in an impatient pace as he waited for the restriction to remove itself and let the younger Jedi come at him with all the anger and hatred he had for the Sith Lord. The slaughter of the first Jedi temporarily settled in the back of his mind as he focused on the other in front of him. He sneered with mottled teeth, his heart rate only quickening one-step above normal pace with the wait for what was to come. He knew his master, Darth Sidious, would only have praise for him this time—and it would not go unnoticed like so many instances in the past. This time it was Jedi; this time it actually meant something to the entire galaxy. The Sith would rise again and the Jedi would crumble. And this is what Maul had waited for since he was a small boy.

His black-gloved hand gripped the center of his dual-bladed lightsaber when he felt that the barrier was about to give. The moment the signal was given and the force-field was released, the Jedi lashed out in a rage of fury, hatred and anger for his fallen master. Maul could only grin ear to ear as he twisted back and forth, catching every strike the Jedi made. He swung hard, but the boy jumped clear and brought his weapon down, but not before Maul had a chance to raise one end of his own and stop the blow. With every electric strike Maul knew that he was facing a well trained Jedi apprentice…but still he was the better warrior. After all, the power of the dark side of the Force was with him and gave him more power than this pathetic Padawan learner could imagine.

Maul should've seen it coming. He should've known that making a horizontal swing at shoulder level would give the Jedi a perfect attack, and the brat used it to his advantage. In a flash the blue glow of the Jedi's lightsaber sliced through the near-center of Maul's own, severing it into two almost-equal halves. Just as he dropped the lesser of the two, he felt a foot connect with his chest and he was tossed backward. Losing his footing, he slipped and fell flat on his back.

The Jedi came around to make a hopeful final blow, but Maul quickly lunged to his feet in a heartbeat and did a double-twirl to avoid any further attack before he could regain his setting. He was back at the red barrier trapping them into the room once again, the Jedi eyeing him, summing him up. Maul growled softly, baring his naturally colored teeth. The Jedi came at him again and he avoided a near swipe at his arm. The boy was being careless, and at this point Maul could carry the battle on as long as he wanted to play around. But he had better things to do, such as capture the Queen of his present location, Naboo and get off this planet once and for all.

He allowed the Jedi to push him almost to the point where one more step he'd back in the red laser-inflicted, transparent wall of the hall barrier. Then he concentrated quickly, lowered his weapon and brought the other hand to summon the power of the Force to throw the Jedi back. He rolled in a back-wards summersault and slipped of the edge and down into the center pit. Maul smirked and casually walked over, lightsaber still activated and ready to cut the boy down—he knew he was still hanging on somewhere near the top.

The Jedi's lightsaber sat on the floor only inches away from the edge; without a second though Maul kicked it over and let it descend into the blackness below the Jedi's uselessly hanging feet. The boy hung on to a little knob that extended from the round wall about a meter from where he stood looking down on him. This was it, the boy's final moment. Instead of making an immediate attempt to finish the Jedi off, Maul waited in order to let the Jedi suffer and think about his failure to strike down the Sith Lord.

Even after an intense battle with two Jedi, Maul had no feeling of fatigue or that his body was sweating in any place under his heavy, black clothing. There were a few extremely minor scratches, but that was expected in any lightsaber duel. He felt a cool breeze coming from somewhere above sweeping over his bald, black and red colored head. He paced for a moment and tried to make up his mind on just how to destroy the Jedi hanging literally at his feet. He could toss down his lightsaber, but that would risk losing the weapon. He could use the Force, but that would be much too easy.

So instead, he tried to see just how well the Jedi could hold onto that little knob. Swinging his arm widely, his lightsaber scratched the edge of the hole, sparks flying, and the sound of the electric beam filling the room as it swept over the metal rim. He did it again, and surprisingly the Jedi still held on.

But then he noticed something. The boy had a plan…he was thinking up something. Maul furrowed his brow, his nose wrinkling as he stared down at the Jedi that looked off to the side. _What the hell is he thinking…_Maul questioned to himself as he—

He barely had a second to let the thought register. Before he could blink, before he could take in a breath or let his heart take one more beat, the Jedi used the Force to throw himself up and over Maul, the lightsaber of the other fallen Jedi flying into his hands and activating.

Maul turned around just in time to see the Jedi land on his feet. He was caught completely off guard, allowing the Jedi to toss up his weapon and cut into the left of Maul's abdomen. He could barely get his right arm to come down and stop the Jedi from finishing the job, but he couldn't stop a second, smaller gash to his upper bicep. Maul took a step back; two wounds of that intensity made him lose all concentration. The Jedi came for one more swing, and whether it was a mistake or not, Maul unconsciously took one more step back; his foot tripped over the edge of the well and he started to tumble back. He felt one more scrap at his right thigh as he fell down, the image of the Jedi getting smaller as he descended the narrow, vertical tunnel.

Quickly deactivating his lightsaber before he killed himself, Maul used the Force to throw himself against the circular wall, his hand and weapon trying desperately to catch something that would stop him from gravity's will. He knew the gloves didn't allow him to do anything but continue to slide, but the edge of the lightsaber caught bits of metal from the wall and slowed him down only a fraction of the original speed. He tried to look around, but his side hurt so much he didn't know how much longer he could attempt to stop fate from taking over.

Then, as if luck turned back in his favor, he saw a little further down and to the side a closed large door. He repelled himself back, using good arm and leg, and narrowly grabbed hold of the three-inch ledge at the foot of the door. He took in deep, ragged breaths; blood steadily dripped down his body inside his tunic, soaking through the fabrics easily. Normally a lightsaber scratch would burn and singe the flesh to the point where blood couldn't escape; however, throwing himself against the wall was just enough to tear the deep wound open again before it had a chance to settle. His arm screamed at him, but he quickly put the pain out of his mind as he tried to figure out a way to get out of the mess he was in.

This was not how things were supposed to end; he was supposed to triumph over the Jedi, not let a weak Padawan learner get the better of him and make him fall off the edge of a hole. He cursed to himself in his native Zabrakian language as he tried to pull himself up, bearing most of the weight on his good arm. But that was countered from the pain on the same side and he had no choice but to let himself hang helplessly again.

There was no way he could get out of this and he knew it. The control panel for the door was on the inside and no use of the Force could get it to open the door. He looked over his shoulder; he could sense the bottom of this thing was not much father. If he was lucky, he might be able to survive the blow of hitting it. The only thing he could do, that would hopefully work, was dig the lightsaber into the side of the wall and keep him from gaining too much speed again. It was a long-shot…but it was his only shot.

Darth Maul took in a deep breath, and for the first time in his life he wasn't sure about his actions. He didn't know if he could do this in his current physical situation—maybe before yes, but now it was sketchy.

Without thinking upon it anymore, he let go, activated the lightsaber and tried desperately to plunge it into the side of the wall. It wouldn't catch or sink in far enough to the job he had hoped it would. Instead all it did was make more sparks, the light blinding him and forcing him to tightly shut his eyes. The only chance he had was what he did before—search out for something to grab onto, but this time without the lightsaber. He let go of the silver handle after turning it off and tried to grab at the wall for any hopes of something jutting out like the Jedi was fortunate to have.

There had been something, something sharp that ripped his glove down the center, but it hadn't been enough to grab and hold him. He could see the bottom coming fast and he prepared himself for the harsh impact that was soon to come. Even with the help of the Force, his rate of speed and the height of descent would still be tough. Then he had a quick idea that would hopefully break the fall…at least a little. With his right hand covering what it could over the deep gash in his side, he used is left hand to summon the Force and jump off the wall in front of him. The Force pushed him back in the wall, knocking the wind out of him harshly, and then he hit bottom with his feet. His knees instantly gave in and he fell forward, head knocking against the hard, smooth surface of the flooring.

He felt as if a few of the ten short horns on his head were pushed over on his skull, even if that wasn't possible without breaking, but the feeling was all the same. An alarm was going off somewhere in the distance; soldiers would come soon and he didn't want to get caught, even if they were droids…even the ones that fought on the same side he did. He knew that if he was found and taken back to his master he could surely be killed. _Not yet,_ he told himself. He refused to die because his master was unhappy with him; and after that battle with the Jedi, only furiousness would occupy his master's mind.

Maul forced his weary body to sit up. Blood was smeared on the shiny floor where his head had been; he must have hit it hard enough to make it bleed. His side, though, was what was killing him in the figurative and probably literal sense. He made the demand to his body to get up, struggling to keep what balance he had left as he got to his feet. His whole torso wasn't allowing him to stand up straight, but what was worse that his wounded leg wouldn't allow much weight to be thrown on it. He hobbled to the nearest exit, an open door that lay only a few meters away. He had landed in some storage room that shared occupancy with a trash compactor. The room was dark and hot, which at the moment made things a little harder to deal with. His lightsaber lay in front of him and he picked it up slowly, trying not to let himself fall over as he bent down to get it. Hooking it back onto its place on his belt, he limped forward once again.

Once through the door, Maul found himself in very unfamiliar territory. He needed to find the hanger and get a ship to transport himself off the planet. The walls became his support, his good arm holding him up as his other hand held his side. His glove was soaked through with his blood now; all wounds yelled from the open cuts and the burns from the lightsaber. He didn't know if his body would allow him to get to the hanger….He mentally yelled at himself to stop thinking such thoughts. He _would_ get off the planet.

Down the hall a little further revealed an elevator, something he was more than happy to stumble upon. His hand bashed against the button and the door slide open in a flash. He practically fell inside and allowed the door to close him in. His tired yellow eyes looked over the control panel. His fingers pushed against an upper-level switch and he felt the lift pull up and defy gravity to bring him to a higher floor.

The door opened to reveal a brightly light and elaborately decorated hall. He knew this level—it had been the one he had gone through to meet up with the Jedi in the first place. He couldn't thank his lucky stars enough that he didn't have to try every level until he found the right one. He hurried out, hearing the alarm better than ever and laser shots coming from somewhere in the opposite hall.

Darth Maul found and open door and gimped through it, but before he could sense any presence, he felt something sharp and cold pierce the side of his neck. He growled and yanked out the miniature syringe that had been shot at him; it dripped with a clear fluid and he quickly looked around for whoever shot it at him. He was sure it was filled with some sort of poison, but hopefully he pulled it out in time.

On top of a ledge stood a guard holding a small pistol-blaster, probably the weapon used to shoot the poison dart. Maul summoned whatever strength it took to throw his hand up and use the Force to pull the man down. The human fell with a cracking and slumping sound on the hard tiled floor, a small pool of blood circling around his head where it had cracked open. Maul wondered why the Theed Palace on Naboo would have a guard shooting darts, but it didn't matter.

As he turned a corner, a protocol droid bumped into him and he quickly threw it down in defense. It begged with him to spare it, its soft, artificial voice making him realize that it was of no threat.

"Lead me to hanger 3," he said in short breathes. He wondered if the feeling of his body weakening was a result of the poison.

The droid quickly got to its feet and wordlessly started down the hall. By the time he saw the hanger's entrance come into view he was more than glad he ordered the droid to take him there; the halls were starting to look the same to him and he couldn't make out any signs with his blurring vision. He figured he suffered a concussion when he hit the floor of the storage room.

"Here it is, sir, hanger 3," the droid said happily, using its stiff hand to point the way through the opening door that it had switched on.

Maul said nothing as he passed, but didn't resist the small surge of energy in his arm to use the Force to drive the droid into the wall, breaking its back and have it tumble to the floor in a puff of smoke.

His ship, the Sith Infiltrator was still where he had left it. He hadn't reached it a moment too soon. His legs were at the point where they refused to carry him as he hobbled up the ramp. He twisted around and batted against the wall in a huff of air, his lungs gasping for breath and his mind telling him he needed to rest. His bloodied hand reached up from his sagging form and hit the control the close the ramp. All he needed to do was get it into auto pilot and fly him out of there.

The cockpit wasn't too far from the entrance, it being a small ship. He fell into the pilot's seat and waited a moment as he eyes tried to focus on the control panels in front of him. Maul had trained himself since he was a child to ignore any pain, and instead to use it as a tool to make him stronger. Discipline had always been an initiative. But this time was different. He was starting to lose it. It might be the effects of the poison starting its process through his blood stream. Quickly, he hit on the turbines, the thrusters, and everything else that his hand could reach. The engines roared and the craft shook for a split second as it lifted itself into the air. He reached up and hit the pad to bring the landing gear up and immediately put the spacecraft into auto pilot.

The last thing he remembered seeing was the atmosphere turning into the darkness of space, the light from the planet fading away and leaving him in the blackness of the solar system.


	2. II

**II**

The Sith Lord couldn't remember the last time he felt so hot. He could almost feel the sweat pouring off of his body, or perhaps evaporating before it could do so from the heat he felt rising off of his skin. His head throbbed uncontrollably; his eyes refused to open. Maul moved his mouth and moaned out unknowingly, his tongue feeling like it had a coating of chalk plastered over it. He wanted water—some to drink and the rest to pour over him.

Finally, Darth Maul willed his eyes to open. Everything was a blur and he couldn't make out a single thing that surrounded him. His arm—the one that felt the least injured—jumped out and reached for something. He heard something spilling and something else banging onto the floor.

For a second he couldn't recall what had happened, why he felt like he did, or where he even was. His own name was a blur in his mind as he forced himself to think. But he couldn't. Maul felt his eyes slowing closing again as a stream of heat washed over his entire body. Reacting to this, he tried to turn over, but he couldn't—it hurt. His entire body throbbed, or the parts that he could feel. His lower half almost felt numb to the point he wondered if it was still there. Looking down to check wasn't an option.

Then, out of the corner of his barely opened eyelids he saw someone coming towards him. Maul didn't know what came over him, but he was almost afraid. The voice's words made no sense to him, as if it spoke in a language that was made up of nothing but hums. Yet…it was calming him, even though he was so hot he thought he'd burn to death.

Maul tried to look at the figure, but all he was a brownish blur. A hand came up and he thought he felt it stroke the side of his face. He wanted to get away, to lash out and kill who dared to touch him.

But he couldn't. He had no strength. Not even the Force could help him.

Something came to his lips and he forced his head to turn away. The person, though, forced whatever it was to his mouth again and poured liquid down his throat. Maul coughed and grunted as it stopped. Forming words to verbally attack whoever-this-was was impossible. All he could do was close his eyes as he saw the brown blur walking away from him. And soon…everything was dark again.

The first thing he realized was that something annoying was filling his ears. A chirping of some sort…an animal…a bird, most likely. Before he forced himself to open his eyes he could tell straight forth that he was somewhere where a lot of fresh air was being filtered into the room. It smelt a little strange, something that off-set the normal cleanliness he was used to on some planets, such as Naboo. That and wherever he was it was very bright. Even from closed eyelids he noticed the bright white light and it almost hurt to the point where he wanted to cover his face with his hands.

Moving his hands was probably a mistake. Immediately he felt the harshness of the wounds he had suffered in his battle on Naboo. _Curse that revolting Jedi_, he said to himself as his good arm tried to move away from his side. He knew he was lying on his back on something rather comfortable, his head resting on a pillow he guessed because he could feel something soft brushing up against his ears when he turned his head slightly. His hands felt fabric, probably sheets or something; he wasn't used to sleeping on something so…nice.

Finally he found the will to take a peak at what was making him feel so relaxed, excluding the lights and sounds. What he saw surprised him to no end. He was in a small room, naturally lit by the sun pouring in through two windows on either side of him. Ahead was an open doorway in the center of a plain pale yellow wall. The room was fairly empty with the exception of some strange looking plants he didn't recognize, a small round table, a cushioned chair, and a small stool next to the bed he occupied. His hand brought up one of the sheets that covered his bare chest, finding it to be white and the probable reason as to why he was blinded—the sheet and the light combined and jumped at his unprepared eyes.

Maul tried to sit up, but his abdomen wouldn't let him. His whole body felt sore, save for maybe his left arm and leg, but even they felt that there should be pain somewhere just to join in with the rest of his body. He had a terrible headache and the breeze from the open windows sent a sudden chill to his now exposed skin.

For the second time he tried to sit up and this time he didn't give in to the tenderness of his muscles. He relaxed back against the smooth surface of a wooden headboard, his eyes closing for a moment just to let his thoughts gather. He remembered the entire battle against the Jedi. He remembered falling down the shaft. He barely remembered finding his way to his ship. Where he was now, he hadn't the slightest clue. He couldn't even recall if he had set coordinates into the space cruiser's computer to bring him to a specific place.

Even if he had, he knew he wasn't there. He never would've picked a planet that was so…peaceful and serene from the looks of it. Glancing out of the window to his right he saw a beach and blue waves crashing up over the sand in the distance. He knew of several plants that had oceans, but which one he was on he didn't know, nor cared at the moment. The only thing he focused on was his condition. He easily felt the pain in his side, and by the looks of things someone had brought him to this location and tried to fix him up. White bandages wrapped around his entire torso, a bloodstain apparent somewhere near the center. He could see from the corner of his eye his arm was covered in the same wrapping as well. With the bandages, he couldn't quite tell if his tattooed body suffered anymore scathing that he hadn't been aware of. As for the rest of him, he noticed he still wore his black pants, although there was a tremendous tear in the thigh on the right side, which too was covered in the white medical.

Darth Maul noticed the rest of his clothing draped across the arm of the cushioned chair. He held up his hand to try to get them to come over by using the Force, but instead he managed to do that and knock over some sort of statue sitting on the table. It crashed to the ground and as if he was a small boy again he looked up and waited to see if he'd get caught.

For a moment there was the silence, with the exception of the birds and waves outside. Then he heard footsteps getting closer. He had no weapon and he was too weak to do anything else but throw a punch if necessary. All there was to do was wait to see who appeared from around the corner of the door.

What he saw surprised him and he knew his eyebrows automatically raised themselves a little. His yellow eyes stared at the creature before him. Instead of a crippled old man of whatever species that he originally expected, he found himself looking at the figure of a woman, human he was sure, that was by no means old and definitely not crippled. He was never attracted to anyone, having no need for the foolishness of love and devotion to a suitor, but he would not deny to himself that she was exquisite.

"I see you've finally woke up," she said in a soft-toned voice. She entered the room and came around the end of the bed where the articles of clothing had landed on the floor. "Guess there was a strong gust of wind or something, huh? Sorry if that was the reason why you're awake now."

She picked up the pieces of the broken statue, placed that and the clothing on the table and made her way over to him. Maul eyed her suspiciously, trying to ignore the brown eyes that gently looked at him like he was helpless and in need of her care. She wore a simple worn-looking skirt that hung no lower than her knees; her upper body was covered with a strapless shirt that tightly hugged her stomach. Her dark brown, curly hair framed her flawless, tanned colored face. When she smiled at him while leaning over he saw the whitest of teeth he had ever seen, enough to blind him a second time that day.

She put her hand up to his forehead and he quickly pulled away, a scowl covering his red and black face. She pulled her arm away when he crumpled his nose, his eyes giving her a purposely lethal stare. "Sorry," she said quickly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want to see if your fever finally went away."

She attempted to touch him again, but he remained leaned over to one side, no matter how much his body protested at the harsh movements and uncomfortable position he forced it to hold. The woman sighed and sat on the stool, Maul waiting a moment before sitting back up and leaning against the wall. His eyes looked straight ahead at nothing in particular, but he made sure he was aware of her every move.

"Well, at least you're showing definite signs of improvement," she started again. "For a while I thought you were going to die on me."

Maul looked at her for a brief moment from the corners of his eyes, his head remaining still, when she spoke of herself as if he belonged to her. Already she was annoying him and when he was sure he didn't need her for any reason he would kill her.

"You're on Corellia, outside of Tyrena if you didn't already know. I doubt it though—I found your ship a few miles up the coast," she continued. "You were in pretty bad shape. What happened; a fight or something?" He gave her no answer. She hesitated before going on, but did so anyway. "So…what's your name?"

The Sith Lord was growing angrier by the minute with her every word. He was at the point of choking her with whatever energy he could find. After all, he didn't need some weak human woman to take care of him like he was a baby. He was a warrior, apprentice to Darth Sidious, Lord of the Sith—he didn't need anyone.

"I'm Naturri Karredine," she introduced as if trying to coax him into telling her his own name. He refused to give her the pleasure of knowing. She shifted her weight on the stool and crossed her legs. "I'm beginning to wonder if you even talk."

"I'm beginning to wonder if you ever shut your mouth," Maul said finally in his normally cool tone, breaking his self-made code of silence. He turned his head slightly and looked her directly in the eye, knowing that she'd realize he meant business with his frustrated tone.

Naturri uncrossed her legs and nodded slowly. "Sorry," she apologized, "I do tend to get carried away sometimes. I was just trying to make you feel welcome."

Maul looked away from her once again and closed his eyes. He wondered if he ignored her completely she'd go away. Unfortunately that didn't seem to be the case; as if she just noticed she gasped loud enough for him to open his eyes again.

"Damn, that bandage needs to be changed," she said pointing to the one over the most serious wound on his body. Without another word she got up and hurried out of the room.

_I'll be damned if she thinks she's coming near me_, he mentally told himself. He looked down at the bandage; it gave all signs that the wound was still wide open and having trouble healing. It wasn't the first time he'd been injured, but usually he let it go through the healing process without paying much attention to it. It had worked before, so why should he be bothered now?

The Naturri-girl returned moments later with a roll of fresh bandages, a bottle of some sort of liquid and a cloth. Maul gave her a warning stare, but she paid no attention to his face. She pulled out a pair of scissors from a drawer in the cabinet under the window and made her way over to him, scissors placed in her hand and ready to cut.

Maul swatted her hand away ruthlessly, snarling at her. She looked surprised at his reaction, but that didn't seem to put much fear into her—something he was not used to seeing with anyone around him other than his master.

"Look, those have to be changed, otherwise it'll get infected," she told him and tried again.

"I don't need, nor want your help," the Sith snapped. "Stay away."

Naturri gave him a look as if he was crazy and put a hand on her slender hip. "Are you stupid or still delirious? You might as well have nothing on it if you don't change it."

"Then so be it," he said dryly and looked away from her.

Naturri looked more than annoyed and tossed the scissors back on the countertop. "You are a foolish one," she said. "Look, buster, I didn't go out of my way, practically breaking my back to help you out here just so you can tell me you don't need my help. If that's the case, then why don't you pick yourself up and leave—if you can." She ended her short lecture with a small smirk, daring him to give it a try.

Maul furrowed his brow and shot her the deadliest stare he could. She didn't even flinch, and that started to get to him. Everyone he had ever encountered since the day he could remember feared him, the only exception to that being his master, the only person he could honestly say he held a small amount of fear for. This girl was different though; she looked fragile to a certain point, but he could sense the strength in her. Perhaps she wasn't physically capable, but her mind was strong and witty.

"Well Mr. I-can-take-care-of-myself," Naturri said as she walked over to the door. "If you're not too stubborn, I'll bring you some food in a few hours. I've barely been able to get you to eat anything since I found you, so you must be hungry."

Maul watched her, his head bent and eyes staring up. He refused to admit, even to himself, that he was the slightest bit hungry. One of the many punishments he had been given when he was a boy learning to use the Dark Side was going for a week with a meal. Then again, he was given a small piece of bread and water to sustain him enough to function…and cooking was not his thing, although he was by no means helpless when it came to survival. Maybe he should keep this girl for a while; she would provide him with whatever he needed. She didn't dare defy him if she knew what was good for her.

Maul's tired yellow eyes looked out the other window in the room. Wherever he was wasn't in any city. There was no sign of life anywhere outdoors except the birds flying around. He let his head fall against the wall behind him; he closed his eyes to think. He wondered if his master had discovered that he was indeed still alive, or if he thought he was dead. It was possible with the survival of that young Jedi that the Theed Palace was taken back into the hands of the Naboo and the Trade Federation was pushed out. He knew the powers of a Jedi, although he was convinced that they were nothing compared to his own.

The most important thing was getting back into shape; then he would have to get back to his ship and see how much damage it suffered when he absentmindedly took off from the palace hanger. Before drifting off to sleep once again, he decided he would get what information he needed from that Naturri girl, use her until he no longer needed her to serve him, and then dispose of her quickly.


	3. III

**III**

Darth Maul figured he had been dozing for no more than 20 minutes or so. And by that time he was ready to kill something. He was bored. He was losing patience, although that wasn't uncommon for him. Being confined to the bed was driving him mad and he needed to get out. He wasn't used to being stuck somewhere without the ability to move around. Even if it meant getting the crap beaten out of him, he would much rather be back on Coruscant where he lived and trained, unless he was out on a mission.

The world outside the room he was in looked like it was starting to greet the night. The sky was turning a magnificent mix of orange and red colors. Twilight was probably the one time of the day he actually enjoyed, for reasons he kept to himself. It reminded him of his missions, of the purpose he was who he was. And being in such a place where he was allowing himself to rely on a weak, human female was not acceptable to his identity.

Determined that he would not fail because he was wounded—after all, a Sith does not fail—Maul threw off the sheets and achingly pulled his body to turn so his legs could hang over the edge and his bare feet could touch the hard floor. His boots, he noticed, sat by the door. He gave himself a moment to gather his energy before pushing himself up with his hands. He stumbled forward, his legs weak from nonuse. Holding the edge of the counter in front of him, he pushed himself high enough where he could maintain some balance. The door wasn't that far away...he was a Sith, trained in many things, skilled with a variety of fighting methods…walking to a door was nothing.

He wished he had listened to his practical side as he let go of the counter and started to move forward. He didn't remember hurting this much when he was making his way through the Palace in Theed. Then again, he was probably having such an adrenaline rush that he didn't notice much else except making it to his ship. It didn't matter though—as soon as he gathered his things he'd be able to leave…

Then something dawned on him. He quickly looked around the room and opened the top drawer of the counter. His lightsaber was nowhere to be found. He could've sworn he picked it up and brought it with him; unless it was still in the ship. He hoped to the ancient Sith that it was still in the ship.

Maul was only a few steps more from the door now. He was about to bend forward and reach for his boots when _she_ appeared in the doorway. "What in the world are you doing?" She cried out, putting the tray of food she brought on the table in the corner. "You're insane!"

"Get away," Maul ordered harshly when she put her hands on his good arm, trying to hold him up and pull him back to the bed.

"Stop it," she lectured back, "you don't honestly think you can manage this?"

"I said get away!" Maul snapped, but between the two of them pulling—him trying to free his arm, her trying to pull him with it, they both lost their footing and stumbled down. The Zabrak landed in the cushioned chair, the human on the floor.

Naturri quickly picked herself up and pulled up the top of her shirt a little and adjusted her skirt. "Now do you understand you need to rest?"

Maul shot her his flaming yellow eyes and growled; "There was no problem until you came in here!" He held up his hand, his face full of anger and hatred towards her. Naturri grabbed at her neck quickly, gasping for air as her feet left the ground. Maul sat forward, his eyes digging into her own brown ones, his use of the dark side of the Force choking her the more he brought his fingers together.

"Please…stop…" She tried to get out, suffocation beginning to take its toll. Tears started to flood her eyes and trail down her brownish cheeks. "I…beg…please…"

Maul had never shown mercy on anyone; but he was beginning to wonder if he was indeed capable of managing on his own at this point. His mind finally admitted that he did have trouble just getting to where he sat now, no less getting to his ship or any city—wherever they might be.

He decided to spare her this one time, mentally noting to her to let this be a warning, whether she heard him or not. Naturri fell to the floor in a heap, her lungs forcing her to gasp for as much air as she could, tears dropping to the floor as she stared down at it.

Maul did nothing except lean back in the chair to relax his sore muscles. He watched her contently, seeing someone for the first time survive his attack and how they reacted to it. He gave her no expression as she inclined her head to him, fear racing through her eyes.

"What are you…?" She asked after she gained back most of her normal breathing.

Maul didn't answer as she stood up and backed away from him. Maybe now she would see that he was not someone to fool with. He was more powerful than her and now she realized that his mind capabilities made up for his wounded body.

Naturri moved sideways and sat on the far end corner of the bed, her gaze keeping a close watch on him. Maul sensed her fear, but also her confusion. He gave a small smile to himself as he thought of what was running through her mind. _She was convinced since she saved me that I needed her help. Now she sees that she's the one that needs the saving._

"I'm sorry," she said suddenly. She looked down at the bed, tears still finding their way out of her eyes. "I…I didn't mean to upset you." Maul still said nothing, although watching her cry made him sick—crying was a sign of weakness.

There was more silence, but neither changed their position or expression. Finally, though, Naturri looked up, but didn't make eye contact with the stranger. "You're a Jedi…aren't you?"

Maul wanted to lash out and tell her how disgusting a thought that was, but he held his tongue and merely said, "No."

"Then what are you?" She asked softly, this time searching out his eyes until she locked with his.

Maul still said nothing, but kept his gaze stern and overbearing. Naturri seemed to get his point because she picked herself and left the room, leaving him to fend for himself.

For a moment the Sith Lord contemplated what had just happened. He wondered if he made the right choice by letting her live. After all, Darth Sidious never allowed anyone who proved to be a weak and pathetic creature to live. If they didn't demonstrate usefulness then they should be disposed of.

Then he noticed the tray of food sitting on the table. He was hungry…his stomach was probably the only thing that wasn't hurt in some manner or form, except for its emptiness. Getting over there was another question, however.

Gathering his strength, he pushed himself off the chair and slowly made his way over to the bed again, sat down, and then used the Force to hover the tray over to him. He rested it down gently next to his side and stared at the meal. There was a bowl of something he didn't even know how to start describing—a rice mixed with vegetables, perhaps?—and a plate of two slices of soft bread. The drink was something cold and pink that looked like it was animal milk mixed with sand. He didn't know what to taste first, if he even wanted to taste it at all. But he knew that eating would help him gain back his physical strength…so with one disgusted look he used the given utensil to start with the substance in the bowl.

To Maul's rather pleasant surprise the food was quite good. He took several more spoonfuls and agreed that eating here wouldn't be so bad for the time he was forced to do it. The bread was freshly made, he decided, and the drink was something he had never had before. It wasn't grainy and bitter like he expected, but sweet and thirst quenching.

When he was finished he felt full and relaxed. Whatever it was he had just eaten was superb—like back on Coruscant. Perhaps keeping her alive for a while longer wasn't a bad decision after all. He could certainly get used to the food. Then again, the girl's constant blabbering was enough to drive him insane. He knew he had very little patience, but maybe this would be a test of his ability to control himself like his master was always telling him.

With the tray no longer needed, Maul tossed it to the counter next to the medical supplies the girl had brought in there earlier. His bandages did need changing, that much he knew. He was pretty impervious when it came to disease or infection, but he wasn't one to fool around with his health. And he was certainly capable of taking care of himself; he had been since he joined the Sith many years ago when he was a mere child.

Agonizingly, Maul reached over and took hold of the scissors; he began cutting away the bandages he currently wore, being careful not to stab himself with the sharp tips in the process. Under the wrappings he found a large piece of gauze covering the lightsaber wound. Tossing the unwanted pieces away, he took hold of a corner of the gauze and started to pull it away from his skin.

The cool air stung the open wound; blood already forming from the edges at the freedom it was just given. The blood-soaked gauze was tossed away to joined everything else on the floor, but Maul was preoccupied with the damage to care about his actions. He wasn't surprised to see how deep the gash looked—in fact, he was surprised he was able to stop it from going through even further. The outer edge of the tissues and skin were singed from the heat of the Jedi's weapon; the rest of it looked like he cut himself open with a simple knife. He cursed the Jedi once again, muttering offensive words in his native tongue as he applied another, fresh strip of gauze on his side and midsection. Taking the role of bandage, he held it with one hand and used the other to, although with some difficulty, wrap it around himself until he felt it was on well enough to do its job.

Once he was finished, Maul tossed the supplies back on the counter and left the used dressings on the floor. He figured the girl could pick them up later. Feeling a bit tired from the hour's events, he decided he needed to lie back down and rest again, since there was nothing else to do. The only thing he did with his life if he wasn't out on a mission was train, but since he didn't have the ability for the time being, not to mention a weapon, that was out of the question.

Seated with his back against the wall, arms resting on either side of his torn body, Darth Maul closed his eyes in an effort to rest. He didn't want to sleep again—he felt he had done enough of that for however long he had been trapped in this girl's home. Whatever was in that food or drink was making him feel at ease, the pain not as harsh now as it was before. He could hardly feel the abrasions in his arm or leg and he was only half aware of the misery he felt from the one in his side. Whatever that girl had done to make him feel like this was taking over…he made a mental note to find out just what was in that stuff.


	4. IV

**IV**

Almost four days had passed and since then Maul had no regrets of what he did to the girl, no care for her feelings. He had woken up that morning from a rather restful night's sleep to find another tray of food in place of what he finished the night before, as was the routine for four days now. The used bandages he would throw down on the floor were taken away and disposed of, and more rested behind the tray of food.

Like the first, the meal had been good, but whatever had made him feel relaxed the first time wasn't present in the food served to him during the day. He wondered which thing he had taken was the work of art that made his body feel alright in such a state where he was ready to scream from staying put in the same spot for who knew how long.

Most of the days had been spent meditating, since the thought of more sleep made him cringe. He couldn't remember the last time he slept that many days in a row for so long. It wasn't unusual for the Sith Lord to go several days without even a ten minute doze, but it was unusual for him to suffer through what he was doing now. Meditation, though, for some reason, wasn't easy that day. He couldn't sit in the position he felt most comfortable in, that being sitting on the floor with his legs crossed and arms stretched out. His legs were so stiff he couldn't bring himself to force them to bend. He had tried to walk the stiffness off by making his way to the door and then back again, but it hadn't done the trick he had hoped it would.

The meditation itself brought unwanted images to his mind. He couldn't be completely sure, but from what he could find, he was supposed to be dead. That would only mean one thing—he was no longer his master's apprentice. If that were true, if he had lost his position, then his master would not spend much time searching out a new apprentice to take his place; who that person could possibly be he didn't know, nor did he care. This led him to one conclusion; he vowed to find the Jedi that did this to him, that ruined his chance of taking Darth Sidious's place, the very Jedi that put him in this condition where he was forced to live under the roof of a nagging girl that drove him insane whenever she opened her bloody mouth—even if he hadn't seen her in nearly ninety-six hours.

Maul spent many hours trying to figure out where the Jedi could have gone; he doubted very much that by the time he was able to get off this wretched planet his foe would still be on Naboo. Jedi never spent much time in any one spot, much like the Sith. He'd have to track him down, train endlessly so he could perfect his skills and teach that boy a lesson. He would do it…he had to do it.

The screeching of nearby birds outside broke his concentration. He had been pondering his fate for most of the day. He usually meditated after a harsh work-out in order to rest his body and ease his mind. Doing so without the self-inflicted physical strain felt abnormal and he didn't like it.

Frustrated with himself and the thought of the Jedi still walking around the galaxy unscathed and with the knowledge that he had made a Sith Lord look bad, Maul found what any other person in his position would do if they had no other resource. He sat still on the bed, focused his mind on as many objects in the room he could and made them float around with strict use of the Force. The dark side embraced him tightly, his anger focused on not the objects that he kept hovering over their usual spot, but instead of what he would do to that Jedi once he found him. The revenge would be bitter sweet and he couldn't wait to grasp that opportunity.

Maul's stomach twisted inside his body, a sharp pain stretching through every fiber, warning him that it wanted something to feed on…much like he wanted to feed on the revenge he longed for. He sighed miserably to himself and glanced up at the door from a bowed head. It was nearly dark and the girl had yet to show up with more food. He knew she was nearby for he could feel her presence, so why wasn't she doing her job and…_taking care of him._

The aggravation was starting to annoy him more than anything. He hated waiting more than anything else, the Jedi being the only exception to that rule. When this was over he was going to make her die a terrible death for making him wait so long. She hadn't brought him anything all day and now he was starving to death. _Filthy human,_ he thought to himself as he scooted to the edge of the bed and stood up. He slowly walked over to the chair where some of his clothes lay and grabbed the sleeveless shirting he wore under his tunic. He tied it with the simple piece of material usually hidden by his belt, but that would stay off—he didn't want it rubbing against the gash in his side. As it was he tied the strap very loosely because it crossed over just where the bottom of the cut ended on his waist.

Maul stood up as straight as his abdomen would allow him and tried to be as casual as he could to walk out of the room and into a narrow hall. He looked down to his left where there were two closed doors. To his right was an open doorway against the wall; he sensed activity coming from that room, so naturally that's the way he chose.

The smooth floor was cold on his bare feet, making him realize he hadn't put boots on; not that it mattered anyway. He would find food and then go back to his room. He would not engage in any conversation, perhaps not even make any eye contact. He wanted one thing and once he got it he'd be gone.

When he got to the doorway he saw a plain table with a long bench on either side. It seemed to be the kitchen by the looks of the simple machines and storage bins that lined the walls, which was what he hoped for—it would quick and easy. However, when he stepped into the room he saw something else he didn't see before; sitting on the end of the table atop a tall, single center-legged stool was a thin, dangly and furry creature with large round black eyes. It gave him a look of puzzlement, its long skinny tale twitching and wrapping around its hind legs that were perched on the seat of the stool.

Maul had never seen such a creature, and to him it was the ugliest thing he had encountered in a long time. It was covered in short fuzzy beige fur and its long fingers played with some sort of fruit as it looked him over. He sneered at it, and was ready to throw it against the wall when it stood up, bounced and gave a short scratchy noise from its throat.

He would've strangled it easily if it hadn't been for his attention being taken away to focus on a form coming from the opposite side of the room. The girl stepped in from a small storage closet, wearing a bright blue cloak over something red underneath, the edge of the top the only part visible. Her hair was pulled up into some sort of knot on top of her head, only the many gold beaded strands hanging next to her face. Maul looked away, cursing himself for breaking the no-eye-contact rule he had set for himself before entering.

"So you can move around a little easier," she said softly, but not in the fear-filled tone she had the last time he heard her speak. She went over to the counter and stirred something steaming in a pot. "Feeling better?"

Maul might've answered, most likely not, if it hadn't been for a second staring contest with the odd creature. It bit into the fruit it held, but its round eyes were locked on him. He could only give it a sickened look.

"Don't mind Ezdum," Naturri said not looking up from her stirring. Maul made no glance at her, but watched the creature more closely…one false move from it and he'd kill it.

"She's harmless," Naturri continued. "She just isn't sure about strangers and since she hasn't been in your room since you came here, she doesn't know who you are. Most men that come here are left alone after she gets her fill of checking them out. I think she's just a little protective."

Maul walked two more steps into the room and looked around for anything he could eat besides whatever she was cooking. "I want some food," he said finally, looking at her back. He could see the smile forming on her face and this time he gave her the snarl. "I grew tired of waiting for you to bring it to me."

"I do have a life outside serving you," she said, opening a wall cabinet to take out a second plate. She walked past him and set it on the table across from the other plate. She went back to the simmering pot and pointed to the table with the long spoon. "You can sit down, can't you?"

Maul didn't make a move until she brought the pot to the table and rested it on a round mat. What he thought to be some sort of soup was actually something much different. It seemed to be a stew of some sort with a pasta-like substance, chunks of white meat mixed in a yellowish sauce. Again, it didn't look very appetizing, but knowing how the last meals were he had a feeling with a pot full of it in front of him he'd be going after seconds.

He sat down, his eyes watching her scoop a few spoonfuls into his bowl and putting it in front of him. She served herself, and then abandoned the table to go into the cooling compartment; she pulled out a frosted glass filled with the same pink drink he had been given the day before.

"I'd let it warm up a bit before drinking it," she told him as she sat down and poured herself a green drink from a pitcher already on the table, "if you drink right after taking it out of the cooler you'll give your tongue frostbite."

The Sith said nothing as he started to eat, paying no attention to the girl or the strange creature to the side of him. He wasn't surprised this time when the taste buds in his mouth approved of what he was eating. He couldn't help but keep it going, his stomach already having begged him to do something about the emptiness.

He was almost finished before he glanced up at the girl who took only a few bites. She was staring at him, and his eyes became cold with the look of astonishment on her face. He put her expression to the side, however, and finished the remaining bits in his bowl, then proceeded to take a large gulp of the pink drink.

"Want more?" she asked out of nowhere.

Maul looked at her warningly, but pushed the dish towards her. She gave him another decent sized helping and he wasted no time filling his mouth again. This time he drank some of the pink stuff after every few bites, which only made him enjoy it more.

As he was eating, he sensed the tension in the creature's mind. It was staring him down like he was something vile and hateful. He could hear the nails scratching away at the fruit in its hands. Then, barely without warning, the strange furry thing pitched the half eaten fruit across the table, aiming it at Maul's head. His eyes darted up, his head tilted to the side, and his hand came up and snatched the fruit out of the air with his good hand.

The creature took that moment to lunge off the chair and run out of the room and down the hall. Naturri sat still, mouth slightly open, but she closed it quickly. He turned the half eat piece of food over in his red hands and then tossed it to the sink in the kitchen. Once again he began to eat as if nothing happened.

"You are a Jedi," Naturri said as-a-matter-of-factly.

"I am not," Maul replied simply. He didn't look up until he said, "And don't disgust me with such a tag. I am much more powerful than a Jedi."

Naturri raised an eyebrow that Maul paid no attention to. He began to stare her down as he took another silent slurp of his drink. "There's nothing better than a Jedi."

"Untrue," he said. "What makes you think such things?"

"The way you tried to choke me or perhaps the incident that happened about two minutes ago—the one where you instantly caught what my yeknom threw at you?"

Maul frowned and finished off the drink after taking the last spoonful of stew. "And how do you figure that's what a Jedi does?"

"I've met a few in the past," she told him. "I've seen what they can do. And you, my friend, have those abilities. I know you do."

"Perhaps," he said. "But I'm not a Jedi."

"Then what are you?" Naturri insisted.

Maul gave her an aggravated look. "A Sith Lord."

Naturri scoffed. "Impossible. The Sith have been gone for thousands of years."

"If you don't believe me just try my lack of patience." He began to stand up before he was pestered by anymore annoying questions.

The girl did the same, moving to the side of the table. "If you're a Sith then why are you here?"

"You tell me," he said as he started for the hall.

"Yes, I found you," she said, "but I mean what happened that you landed on this planet?"

"It doesn't concern you," he said as he walked as quickly as he could at the moment to get away from her. He already broke his rules of ignoring her; he wasn't about to tell her he lost to what he loathed.

"They're lightsaber wounds, aren't they?" She asked stopping in the hall.

Maul stopped, his back still turned to her. He felt her take a few steps closer to him, but he made no move. _She knows,_ he thought to himself; _that little bitch figured it out. She's smarter than I gave her credit for. Master Sidious was right about underestimating those who appeared weak._

He turned to her shortly, barely glancing at her face. "What makes you so sure?" He questioned just to satisfy himself that he's not jumping to conclusions that she knows of his fight with a Jedi…and lost.

Naturri walked down the hall until she was only an arm's length from him. She looked up at him, her face soft and non-judgmental. "The way your skin is burned around the cuts. I'm guessing by a Jedi because they're the only ones that carry those weapons."

Maul wanted to strangle her again, but he held himself back. He didn't like it when people acted all-knowing around him…even Master Sidious after a certain point. "Yes," he said shortly. "I did fight with a Jedi. Now that you know, you can find something else to do with your evening." With that he left her to stand in the hall by herself. He made his way over to the bed and sat down on the side. He looked at his red hands marked over with jagged black lines. Being here, being like this, Maul felt useless. He needed to force himself to train, no matter how much it might hurt. He'd done it before—he had been pushed beyond his body's limit. There was no reason why he couldn't manage it now. All he had to do was get back to his ship to see what resources were left there.


	5. V

**V**

The sun had set and left the world coated in a mist of darkness. The black sky was littered with thousands of shimmering stars; everything was peaceful, quiet, the only sound was the ocean waves crashing its edge on the coastline. Darth Maul stood by the window of his given room, looking out into the night. Through the window he could smell the cool, salty air. It was calming enough. Night was what came after the sunset, and as he viewed it signified the end of the life in so many ways, only those strong enough to go on would see the next day to come.

Sick of being cooped up in the small space, he donned his tunic and casually retreated from the room, down the hall, and into the unlit kitchen. The yeknom creature was curled up on a chair in the small sitting area adjacent to the kitchen. Maul paid it no attention as it raised its head to watch him exit the house.

The Sith stepped out onto the cold bricks of a small terrace that faced the ever-lasting sea. He walked further out, his feet sinking into the coarse, pallid sand. Stopping only a few yards from where the water soaked the land, Maul held one hand with the other in front him, his arms hanging, relaxed. The cool breeze danced passed his face and blew the open tunic as it moved on, some of it catching the tear in the sleeve, brushing the exposed skin under it. He had removed the bandages, only a little blood seeping over the wound and trickling down his waist to be caught by the material of his pants.

The scenery was different, but the feeling was all the same compared to standing on the balcony of the place he resided when living on Coruscant. Unknown to his master, he enjoyed moments like this; it gave him a chance to think, to be alone, to realize his destiny as a great Lord of the Sith. During such a moment, he could feel the living dark side of the Force sweeping over him, keeping in touch with the hear-and-now.

And…the eyes that watched him from behind.

He made no move to glance over his shoulder as the girl watched him from the terrace some several meters behind. He was tired of her intruding on him, yet her presence was different than some others'. There was something about her intellect that caught him; she had a way of figuring things out with very little information, which surprised Maul since most people either were completely in touch with such knowledge, (like the Force), or they were too stupid to ever make sense of things.

Maul turned his head slightly to look over his shoulder when he felt her body closing in on the distance between them. She was trying to be quiet and go unnoticed, but she failed long before she knew it. She was only a few feet from him when he turned his head more so she knew he was aware of her presence. She looked down, speechless, almost helpless.

"Have you nothing else to do but follow me?" Maul asked with a calm voice.

Naturri looked at him, and then boldly moved forward to stand next to him, but luckily she kept her distance so they weren't too close. "I saw you come out here."

"And that gave you the incentive to follow me?" he asked with a toss of annoyance. "I prefer to be alone."

"I just…" she paused and shrugged her shoulders. "I just wanted to make sure you're ok. You're not wearing any bandages." She talked like she threw that last part in after taking notice that he indeed abandoned the medical supplement.

"Its no care of yours," he told her. "Do not fawn over me like I'm a helpless creature."

Naturri bit her lip then looked at his face. "I'm not. I don't know, I guess I was just worried about you. I feel bad about what happened to you."

Maul shot her a disgusted look, his upper lip quivering slightly. "I need no sympathy from the likes of you," he snapped, but keeping his voice low. "You're nothing to me—you're lucky you're still alive."

"You wouldn't have killed me," she said defiantly, although her body became tense from his almost-glowing eyes.

Maul lunged his arm out, not hitting her, but using the Force to throw her down and into the sand. "You underestimate me," he said turning to her completely. "I have no devotion to anything except my master and the dark side. Keep your distance, girl."

Naturri got up and brushed the sand off of her tight shirt and long, silky skirt. "First of all, buster, I'm a woman not a little girl. Second, you're damn lucky to be alive compared to the condition I found you in! Just be happy I decided to take a walk that day and knew how to take care of someone who was filled with poison!"

Maul snarled and clenched his fists. "Do not use that tone with me," he said, his voice rising steadily.

"Or what? You'll kill me? You think I'm afraid to die?"

"You should be," he hissed.

"Well I have a news flash for you, _Sith_, I'm not."

Maul's arm reached out and the back of his hand swiped over the side of her face. She backed up and put her fingers over it in shock, eyes wide and staring at him. "You ungrateful fool," she muttered and started walking away.

He didn't care what she thought of him. She thought she was so smart the way she presented herself to him, wearing skimpy clothes that hugged her body, the words she chose, the way she tried to stand up to him. "Pathetic bitch," he said to himself and then turned back to the sea.

Maul was highly annoyed. The heat of annoyance was running through his body, making the feeling of his stinging wounds disappear momentarily as he tilted his head downwards, but kept his gaze on the breathing water. The waves became higher to the point they could've gobbled a large building in one attack. It came down with thunderous force, washing over itself and threatening to engulf the entire beach. He stopped it just before it touched ground at his feet, spray moistening his face. Lifting his arms, he made the water pull back and hurl over itself in the opposite direction it was heading.

The water choked, the remnants of its own attack brushing further up the beach, washing over Maul's feet. He looked down at it, but then quickly turned his head to see Naturri going back inside and disappearing into the darkness of her home. He sensed her fear. He had scared her half to death; hopefully enough to keep her out of his way for a while.

Feeling a little better, he headed back towards her humble dwelling, although his side was scratching at him with pain. He snarled as he reached the terrace and opened the door that Naturri had so nicely closed on him. It slid to the side and he saw her sitting at the table, her hands hugging a mug of something hot to drink. He mentally closed the door behind him as he started forward, walking through the kitchen as if she wasn't there.

He was stopped by her voice before he took the first step into the hall to disappear from her sight. He cursed her quietly as she spoke; "Just who are you?"

Maul said nothing, but didn't move either. Her fear was still there, but it wasn't like it was when he slapped her a few minutes ago. He didn't understand her. It seemed she was angrier more than anything else, which surprised him.

"It doesn't matter," he said starting down the hall again. She was following him, her energy high as she stopped in the entryway to the room. He kept his back to her purposely as he moved around the corner of the bed; his hand waved through the air and the window furthest from him went up higher than it had been set at.

"You've been in my house for nearly about three weeks," she started. "I took care of you, fed you, bandaged you—which was _not_ easy, mind you—and welcomed you here as you recover, but I still don't know where you came from, what you are, or even what your damn name is."

Maul waited a brief moment when she stopped talking. "Are you finished?" he asked dryly, his body only turning slightly so he could see her in the room.

"You jerk," she hissed and started forward. "You don't even realize you're bleeding again."

Maul held out his arm, hand open and fingers spread apart as far as they could go. She stopped in her tracks, being held back by an invisible barrier. "I just want to help you!"

"I don't want nor need it," he said and started pushing her back. "I will not play with you any longer—if you're not afraid to die then so be it."

"Fine," she scolded. "If you want to see how far you can get right now with that thing in your side, go ahead. You know damn well you're stuck here until that heals more."

Maul pushed her back until she was almost flat against the wall with nowhere else to go. If he kept pushing the wall would crack and fall on her or she'd die from the sheer force of what he was doing. Yet deep down he held back the pressure, knowing she was right. He figured she had a speeder somewhere around her property, but until he found his ship he wouldn't have the proper weaponry or the money to buy supplies.

The dark side kept telling him to just finish her off, but his realistic side kept him from going through with it. Finally he let her go; she slide down the wall a little, but didn't land in a heap on the floor like the last time he attacked her. She held her hands behind her back, trying to look helpless, but she stared at him hard. He said nothing as he pulled off his tunic and under shirting from his shoulders and tossed it to the chair.

"You should put something on that," her voice said softly, not even a quiver in her words.

Maul was shocked to hear that she was still bold enough to stand within a ten miles radius of him. Twice now he had threatened her, held her life with his own hand, but still she went uncaring for her own safety. If he were her against him he would've taken off long ago—with that stupid little yeknom. He hated that creature.

He was busy thinking to himself and lost track of what she was doing. She had entered the room, and although careful of how close she was to him, she picked up the roll of bandages on the counter. "Here," she said holding a piece of gauze with her other hand. "It really should be—"

"You don't learn, do you?" he asked, hostility easily sensed in his tone.

"Apparently neither do you," she said. "Hold these." She shoved the medical supplies in his hand and went for the bottle and small clothe that had yet to be touched by him. Opening the bottle, she poured its clear liquid contents onto the cloth and looked at him. "Hold your arm away," she ordered.

Maul wordlessly stepped back from her. He had no need of her help, nor did he want any of that stuff she held applied to him. He could smell its strong scent—it was an antiseptic and he knew what it would feel like when it touched his opened flesh. He was a fast healer…although…he knew that if it had been so long like she claimed he should be long healed. The poison from the dart must've slowed down his recuperation; which is also probably why the wound kept bleeding like it was.

"Stop being such a baby," she said. "You want to get out of here or not?"

He knew she was right; it would help the healing a little. He pulled his arm away so she had a clear view of the once-again bleeding slash that trailed across his left side and halfway over his stomach. Her hand was steady as she moved closer; she dabbed the corner of the cut and he hissed loudly. She didn't say anything as she continued, Maul biting his tongue at the intense stinging. He made himself focus on the pain and turn it into anger that would give him more power and strength in the dark side, just as his master had taught him to do.

"You're lucky you got away or the lightsaber stopped," Naturri said. "Any longer and you would've been cut in half." She moved to the center of the wound, which happened to be the most tender. Maul's hand tightened harshly around the roll of bandage.

"Here, give me the gauze," she said while putting the bottle and cloth down. She took the gauze from him and gently held it over the cut, her fingers spread wide so most of it would stay down. She took the bandage and began to wrap it around his middle, pulling it tight so it would stay on and apply pressure to the bleeding spots. Maul looked away when her arms practically hugged around him; she held her head away as much as she could when she reached behind him so her face wouldn't brush against his skin.

"This is actually a hell of a lot easier than it was when I first brought you here," she told him as she finished up. "Trying to get this around you when you were dead to the world and weighed a ton was the biggest challenge I've ever had."

Maul almost smirked at the image in his head from her words. But he was more concerned with just what he was like when he was discovered. "I've been here for nearly three weeks?"

"Yeah," Naturri thought as she tied the end off, "You were really bad; completely passed out when I found your ship. I had to break the cockpit window to get to you since there was no way of opening the hatch from outside without a droid. I managed to pull you down the ramp and get you into my speeder, how I'm not sure, but I got you back here and Ezdum helped me carry you to the bed. She tried lifting you up for me, but you were too heavy for her alone."

Maul couldn't believe that skinny little creature she named was strong enough to do anything except throw things, but he supposed there was hidden strength in everything—including this girl…woman.

He sat down on the bed as she cleaned up the materials and straightened some other things in the room he had moved during his meditation earlier in the afternoon. "You had such a terrible fever I thought you were going to die," she admitted. "You would kind of wake up and moan out something like 'master' and 'I failed you' but I'm not totally sure on that part. I'm guessing it was the poison talking, but you had such a high dosage of it I'm surprised you had the strength to say anything.

I did try to feed you some stuff but you weren't taking it very well, so I stuck with lifting your head up enough to drink things—mainly the kier libsa, which you seem to like."

Maul listened to her, but his eyes were focused on the floor where it met the wall next to the counter. He felt like a total fool for being so weak in the arms of a mere human; him, a Lord of the Sith, lying helplessly in a bed with no memory of anything between getting on the ship and waking up almost three weeks later. He still had a hard time believing it had been that long.

"You okay?" she asked kindly sitting down next to him, but still being smart enough to keep a suitable distance.

"What was the extent of my injuries?" he asked, still looking at the same spot on the floor.

It was a second before Naturri answered; "Well, the obvious ones in your side, thigh and arm; then you had a couple of broken ribs, a sprained ankle and knee, a few scratches and a handful of bruises. And then, of course, the poison—and the only way I discovered you had been exposed to it were the three little holes in your neck that oozed a greenish-colored liquid. The cut on your head seems to have pretty much disappeared. "

Maul had forgotten about the one on his head; he started to remember the impact he felt when he hit the floor of the storage room after falling down the shaft in the Theed Palace. The broken bones and sprained ankle and knee must have come from the same landing; the bruises could've been from the many kicks he received from both Jedi in the fight. Now that he thought about it all, he should be grateful that he has a chance to seek revenge on the younger Jedi; without this girl, he probably would've bled to death if the poison hadn't taken over first.

"I guess I should thank you," he said softly, his eyes shifting up to look out at the window and the two moons hanging over the horizon, "for what you did."

He could see her smile from the side of his vision, but he made no further comment on it. It was hard enough to say that to her—she better not expect anything more. She nodded her head, but didn't seem to want to leave just yet. He wanted her to go away, but he said nothing to persuade her to move out.

"Will you tell me your name?" she asked softly, almost afraid that he'd lash out at her once again like he had with every other question she asked.

Maul felt that he owed her at least that much; he wouldn't refuse his name to her any longer. "Darth Maul," he responded, his eyes looking to their corners and waiting for any response that surely would come.

"You are a Sith then." She spoke no further as she stood up and went to the door. But then she turned to him, stared for a moment and left the room.

Maul didn't move for quite some time. She hadn't truly believed he was a Sith until he told her his name; unless it was more the fact that she didn't want to believe it. Somehow she knew about the qualities of the Force and those who used it. He would have to find out how she knew; but that would be left until the next day.


	6. VI

**VI**

Darth Maul had not gone to sleep that night. He spent the night sitting and thinking about everything—his loyalty his master, his devotion to the dark side, how he was nothing until he found the power of the Sith; then his mind trailed to the point of true failure. Once again he found the hatred of the Jedi only building up more deep inside him. He wanted revenge so much it hurt. He wanted to see that filthy piece of scum suffer to the point he would be begging for mercy.

Then he thought of her. She had shown pity to a certain point, but also a sort of fondness for him. He didn't quite understand it; he had done nothing but shown her cruelty and she pulled him back into forgiveness. There was something wrong with her, that much he knew, but what, he wasn't sure.

Sometime during the early hours of the morning before the sun rose, Maul had ventured back out into the small sitting area next to the kitchen. The human's animal was nowhere to be found, which suited him just fine. He sat himself down in the center of the open room and forced his legs to bend and cross. The muscles around the thigh wound pulled and ached, but he ignored it. Sitting up straight, knowing the reason why his whole torso hurt was because of broken ribs, he stretched his arms out and rested them on his bent knees. He had cleared his mind completely, his thoughts gone, his energy focused on his surroundings.

Before he knew it there was a scurrying of feet and a scratching of nails on the floor in the kitchenette. His eyes opened slowly after he sensed the animal running around the room—probably running away after seeing he was there. The sun had come up and a gentle breeze flew through the slightly open windows. He heard the weird guttural sound from the yeknom somewhere in the distance, and then Naturri entered the room, the creature clinging to her shoulders.

Maul stayed still, his leg numb from the position, but his eyes followed her movements. At first she said nothing to him even after making brief eye contact. Then she pulled out two pitchers from the cooling compartment. "Thirsty?" she asked and set them on the table.

Waiting a few moments before unlocking his legs from their position, Maul stood up and made his way to the table. He limped lightly from the release of tension in his thigh. He noticed that one of the pitchers was filled with the pink drink he had been given since he arrived—kier libsa she had called it the night before. The other was the same green concoction she had drunk during her meal last night. It had a watery consistency and smelt something like mint leaves, but he didn't know what it was. He took it upon himself to take one of the glasses she had put out and pour himself his own drink. He remembered what she had said about drinking before it started thawing, so he rested it back on the table.

Naturri took out a container from an overhead cabinet and poured its crispy contents into a large bowl then proceeded to put it on a burner to heat it up. She turned and looked him over slowly, no apparent expression noticeable on her face. "It should be okay to drink now," she said. "It only takes a minute or two to get the icy edge off."

Maul looked down at the glass then picked it up and poured some of it down his throat. "What is in it this makes me feel so relaxed?"

Naturri stirred whatever it was that she was cooking. "It has some herbs native to this planet, particularly this specific area. My mother taught me how to make it; it does exactly what you said it does. She used to give it to me when I was little; I would fall down, get hurt, but one glass of that and I felt better in a few hours. I guess you could call it instant medication."

Her answer was more than Maul wanted, even needed to hear, but he let it go. He moved to the other side of the room, taking another sip of the kier libsa. He watched her cook, for once took a moment to take in her features. Her curly brown hair was down but loosely pulled back with a tie, including the strands full of the gold beads. Her face looked smooth to the touch and clear of any blemishes; at the moment her body was hidden by a baggy silky purple robe, but both her bare feet sported a beaded bracelet around the ankles.

"I want you to take me to my ship," he told her, pushing her appearance out of his thoughts for the time being.

Naturri took the large bowl off the burner and started scooping its odd mushy contents onto two plates. She brought the plates to the table and put them down across from the other. "We can go right after breakfast," she said. "I have to be at my job by noon. You will be able to handle yourself while I'm gone?" She gave him a sarcastic smirk.

Maul eyed her warningly, his upper lip rising in disgust at her insult. She merely continued with a haughty expression, eating the brown mush she called breakfast. As he ate the meal, finding this to be a little less tasty compared to what he had been given before, he wondered what type of work someone like her did—something simple he thought.

"You're ship is a few miles up the coast," she said not looking up at him. "It'll take only a few minutes to get there."

"What type of work?" He asked suddenly having not paid attention to what she said; he wasn't quite sure why he let his thoughts turn into open words that flew from his mouth. He cursed himself for acting interested.

"Excuse me?" she asked looking up this time.

Maul gave her an annoyed look; he hated to repeat himself. "I asked you what you did for work."

Naturri gave a small smile and then took another bite before answering. "I'm a dancer."

That wasn't an answer he had expected, but once he knew he thought it suited her; the way she looked, dressed, even walked could've been signs that she used her body for money. "So you serve yourself to hungry men," he stated spooning more of the mush into his now-dry mouth. He fixed that with another swig of kier libsa.

He smiled when he glanced up to see that this time she was the one to be insulted. "I do not go around and sleep with men if that's what you're saying," she snapped. "I do dance in a club, but I don't offer further services to every guy that lines up at my door."

Maul was enjoying this; he clearly had gotten under her skin—finally he had found her weak point. "I find it hard to believe you've kept yourself away from every man that's shown interest in you."

"That's none of your business," she said.

"Then it is true," he countered with a smirk.

Naturri suddenly got up and brought her plate to the small compactor and emptied what she hadn't eaten into it. Maul had the urge to tell her, "You might as well get rid of my portion too before I gag on it any further," but he held his tongue. After all, he wanted her to take him to his ship—upsetting her too much before then would be stupid. Naturally he could've forced her to do what he wanted, but after what she had done for him it would be unethical.

"Not every man," she said out of nowhere. Maul had thought she dropped the subject in her anger for him. "Only a few…a couple I dated and…one that I've been forced to keep happy every now and then."

Darth Maul raised a hairless eyebrow and glanced at her. "Forced to keep him happy? What do you mean?"

He suddenly realized she had tears in her eyes. _Leave it to a weak woman to start crying to get herself out of things_, he thought to himself. If she thought he'd go over and comfort her she was gladly mistaken.

"Look, I've been threatened by this one man that he'd hunt me down and kill me if I didn't do what he wanted; he almost carried out that promise the first time I refused, so I've decided its better to suffer every now and then rather than to live in fear."

Maul scoffed and stood up. "You're weak if you allow others to control you from your fear," he said simply. "It allows people like you to be taken advantaged of by people like me at a mere calling. I have no sympathy if you allow yourself to suffer without a fight."

Naturri was silent and still. He said nothing as he walked outside and stood on the terrace to look out at the sea. The sky was almost covered in clouds, gray and white alike, but the air was still warm. There was a steady wind and he looked to the east to see if a storm was brewing, but there was no sign of anything that would indicate such.

For a few moments he stood alone, but then he felt Naturri's presence behind him. "I'll take you to your ship now," she said and then walked away. He smiled; he had control over her now. His words must have sunk into her thick head.

He returned to his room and fully dressed himself. Bending over on the cushioned chair to put his boots on was a little difficult with the strain of his stomach, but he suffered through until they were comfortably on his feet. While putting the black leather gloves over his hands he reminded himself that he would have to get the spare clothes he kept in the storage unit of his ship; what he was wearing now was much too tattered and bloodstained for his liking.

Darth Maul found himself back in the kitchen waiting for Naturri. He was growing impatient; he wanted to leave now, not wait for her to ready herself for a short trip down the coast. Unless she was getting ready for this job of hers, that of which he was partly interested to see what garb she was wearing.

He was mildly disappointed to see her come into the room wearing another one of her long, silky blue skirts and a matching halter top. He ignored his thoughts and followed her silently out of the place she called home and to the front where a dull red speeder sat waiting.

Maul climbed into the passenger seat and looked away, paying her no attention while she started the engine. She was being quiet. He sensed tension in her, but not so much anger like before; he figured embarrassment. He was still trying to figure out why she was so brave around him instead of giving up and doing what he wanted. She was stubborn, that was for sure, and he hadn't seen many women who gave him that side. He almost allowed himself to admit openly to his mind that she impressed him.

He jerked back slightly when the speeder took off, dust flying past them as they drove down the beach. She handled it nicely, but he hated being the passenger in any transport. He liked having control of things, no matter what it was.

His eyes chanced a glance at her; she was still with her driving, her eyes focused on where they were going. He looked forward as well and saw his ship already in sight. It was shoved up against a sandy bank, nose first, and he wondered if that was his barely-conscious self's way of landing or the ships way of crashing with no pilot. Either way, as they closed in on it he knew it would need some work so he could get off the planet.

Naturri stopped the speeder next to the ship and did nothing as Maul jumped out and started towards it. He looked around it, seeing many scraps and a good deal of rips in the metal of the front end. He moved around it, his yellow eyes taking in every aspect of noticeable damage. To his surprise it looked more like body damage than anything else.

He went to the open entrance ramp and silently cursed the girl for leaving it open; someone could've easily gone in and stolen it—foolish girl. He walked over to the control panels, sensing Naturri was starting to follow. He flipped on the starting switches and waited. The engines cranked, squealed, and gave a low hum; they were on, but not at full power. He frowned and boosted the power, but nothing happened.

"Doesn't sound good," the human said from behind. Maul turned his head and gave her a foreboding look that made her turn away.

The Sith checked the hyper-drive, which seemed to be in acceptable working order, along with the most of the other necessities that would make the ship useful. But the engine thrusters were damaged. Without them there would be no power to get the ship off the ground. He hated broken machinery.

"Is there some place where I can get parts?" He asked her turning around quickly to face her.

Naturri looked up from her wondering around and nodded. "Downtown there are a couple of shops."

"Good," he said. "You will take me there."

The girl's mouth opened slightly in awe. "Not today," she said.

"And why not?" Maul asked unamused. He took a few steps towards her to close the distance between them. His hands were kept at his sides, but he looked at her with irritation.

"I don't have the time to be taking you to shops," she said in defiance, standing up straight to try to get her point across.

Maul snickered bitterly. "I don't need you to hold my hand," he snorted. "You will just take me there."

"I don't advise today," she said. "Not just because of me—today's the biggest selling day of the week. You'll end up paying more."

"You lie," he said.

"Try me," she countered.

He knew she was serious. He sneered and turned away to get what he wanted from the ship. She stood silently watching him, which made him feel a bit uncomfortable. "Have you nothing better to do?" He barked lightly as he opened one of the compartments.

"I just…I'm just waiting for you," she said gathering her courage.

Maul ignored her comment as he pulled out neatly folded black clothes, duplicates of what he was already wearing, minus the tears and stains. Also in the bundle was a new cloak, since his other one was probably still sitting somewhere in the Theed Palace since he had removed it seconds before starting his brawl with the Jedi.

Leaving the door to that compartment open, he moved to the next one and opened it; inside was a simple, single-bladed lightsaber compared to the doubled one he had carried before, but it was his only back up. He had constructed the other one himself, but with only one lightsaber, making another was impossible. Instead, he hooked the deactivated weapon to his belt and turned to leave the ship.

Naturri followed after him and put herself back into the driver's seat of the speeder. Maul was already settled in his spot and waited for her to return to the house. He said nothing to her for the five minutes it took to get back. Once there, though, he glared at her when she made no movements to follow.

"I told you I have to work," she said as if knowing what he was thinking.

"So be it," he said and went inside. He figured she'd go in as well, but she sped away without glancing back.


	7. VII

**VII**

The sun was hanging directly over the planet, its bright rays shining down and heating the ground well enough where one could see the heat shimmering over the sand. It was hot, yes, but not so hot that one would feel like passing out or dunking themselves in water for the remainder of the day.

Except one person was starting to feel the sweat beading on his forehead and trickling down the black sides of his face. Darth Maul stood outside, still dressed in the torn pants, boots, and topped with only the black, sleeveless shirt he usually wore under his tunic; in his hand he held a now activated lightsaber, its red laser-beam shining vibrantly in the afternoon. His eyes closed for a moment, his mind picturing the image of the Jedi. His hand twisted, the sword twirling about. His yellow orbs darted open and his hand sliced down at nothing in front of him. He whirled about, feet dancing in the sand, one hand secured around the base of the lightsaber, the other open and free.

The shirt fluttered after him in the breeze as he leapt into a mid-air summersault, his feet landing perfectly on the ground, although a throb took hold in his thigh. He ignored the pains, ignored the fact that his body was practically yelling at him to rest—he would not stop his training now. It hadn't been long enough.

He paused slightly, his face calm and smooth, mouth open only slightly and his eyes rested on the easy waves of the blue ocean. He sensed the presence of a speeder coming towards the area. Within a matter of minutes, he figured, the driver would be standing there watching him.

He gripped the handle of the lightsaber with both hands, his arms stretched out as he made another invisible tear in the air, his legs holding him steady as he did so. Naturri appeared behind him, but he pretended he didn't know as his body leapt up, twisted and came down roughly—rougher than he wanted.

Now it was time to end. His body needed rest and he required something to quench the dryness in his throat. Besides, he didn't like people watching him. He licked his lips as he turned around to face her, his finger pressing the button to disengage the beam of the lightsaber. She stood there, not very surprised at what she found, but yet she was astonished at how well he moved. She didn't know him very well, that was for sure.

"I guess you're feeling better," she said as he approached the terrace and picked up his tunic. He didn't answer; instead he walked passed her and went directly for the cooling compartment and pulled out the pitcher of kier libsa. "Or maybe not completely," she added when she saw this.

Maul waited before sipping the pink drink. "Where is your refresher?"

"Down the hall across on the side opposite your room," she told him. "How's the side?"

"Well enough," he said simply. He undid the undershirt and let it fall open to give his body more air. He caught her eyes darting to his now exposed skin; he gave a slightly amused grin that was practically hidden by his darkly tattooed face.

Naturri went over to him and pulled away the fabric covering his wound. "You took the bandages off," she pointed out when she saw the gash.

"It was holding me back," he said. "The bleeding has stopped, so it was no longer necessary to keep it on."

"I see," she said. But then she did something he hadn't expected and it made his body react in a way that felt very unusual. He shivered at the feeling of her fingertips grazing over the center of his chest, but he couldn't bring himself to step away from her intrusion. "I've been wanting to ask you," she said softly, her fingers now tracing one of the black lines of the tattoo that covered his entire torso, "are all of these real?"

"What do you mean, real?" he asked, trying not to let his voice get caught in his throat.

"I mean, since your body is mostly black, is that your natural skin color and the red is imprinted?"

It wasn't something he thought she'd ask. In fact, he thought she'd go further than asking something so simple, but he was thankful she hadn't…to a point. "Both are unnatural colors," he told her.

"On your whole body?" She asked a bit surprised.

"Yes," he replied, but then he glanced at her with a questioning look that silently asked, "You don't know already?"

She seemed to understand and blushed. "I didn't go on an adventure, if that's what you're thinking," she laughed lightly. "That's why the tear in your pants is bigger than it was when you were hit. I just tore it open to get to the wound."

Maul said nothing as she looked directly at the sharp markings. "Did it hurt?" She asked quietly, almost like she hadn't planned on letting those words slip from her mouth.

"Yes," he said with a nod. "But I did it with honor—the pain meant nothing."

"Why—" she started.

But he cut her off. "You ask too many questions you don't need to have answers too." He stepped away from her and began taking long sips of his drink.

"Would it be wrong to ask what species you are then?" She asked. "You're not human…that much I know."

Maul gave an inward sigh. This girl just didn't know when to quit. Perhaps, though, if he gave in for once and told her what she wanted she'd leave him be. "Zabrak," he said. "That's all I know." He didn't care, anyway; his life was nothing before joining Darth Sidious.

"I'm not familiar with them," she admitted. "Where are you from?"

"Iridonia," he told her and left it at that.

"Oh wow," she replied. "That's some distance away. You ended up all the way over here from there?"

"No," he said getting more annoyed with every word. "I haven't been there in years and I have no intentions of returning there. I had left Naboo when I ended up in this place."

"Naboo? I see…" She trailed off. "There was some sort of blockade going on over there concerning the Trade Federation, I think."

"How do you know so much?" He asked finally.

Naturri smiled. "Word gets around fast."

"You said you knew a Jedi," he started remembering an earlier conversation.

"Two, actually," she corrected.

"What did they tell you?"

"Nothing much," she said. "Just some history—they had been drinking and I had just finished a show, so they invited me over. I asked some stuff I guess; I don't remember—it was a while ago."

"I think you do," he said and gripped the dark side of the Force to get it out of her.

"No, I really don't," she said. "They had just said something about the council or whoever felt a slight disturbance in the Force…and they started conversing between themselves. One had mentioned the Sith, but the other had said they didn't exist anymore."

Maul let the Force go and nodded. He understood now. She was innocent enough not to know things; to her it was just a story. But now he had gotten far off the course of what they had started off with—her just coming back and him getting a drink. He couldn't remember the last time he had a conversation with someone; on such a level that is. He wasn't sure if he liked it. He almost felt vulnerable. _Curse her for making me lose it for a moment_, he thought and turned away.

"Why are you back so early?" He asked.

"What?"

"You said you'd be gone for the rest of the day. Why did you return?"

She smiled and came back up to him. "Interested?"

"Never," he semi-snapped, finished his drink and put the glass down on the counter.

Naturri sighed and turned away. "I didn't feel good."

"Someone tried to come onto you," he said looking her over.

"What makes you think that?" She asked looking over her shoulder at him.

"You're holding yourself tense. You have been since you arrived."

"You're good," she said and sat down.

_ Of course I am,_ Maul thought.

"A couple of men tried pulling me over," she started, her head bowed. "I told them no and to leave me alone, but they didn't like the answer. The only reason I got away is because my boss pulled me away to schedule a different time for my next show."

Maul listened, but made no point of showing interest or concern. She wasn't his to worry about, especially since now he had plans on leaving this planet within the next few days as soon as his ship was fixed. If she was finished with her story, he didn't know; Maul turned and headed down the hall to where she said the showers were.

The room was small and cramped, but it would do for the short time he had to spend in it. He found the controls to start the hot water and waited for the steam to fill the room. He stripped his clothes off and tossed them aside—he'd dispose of them later. The hot water felt good on his healing body. The cuts on his arm and thigh didn't bother him as the water trickled over them, but the one on his side seemed to twinge a little when it hit the still-tender center. He examined it and saw that he'd probably have a scar there for the rest of his life. It didn't matter—it was covered up most of the time anyway. He'd be the only one aware of its existence. His flesh was still burned, but it seemed to be healing; the gash actually didn't seem as big as it had originally.

Darth Maul stood under the water for several minutes just thinking. He'd have to find the right parts for the ship—he had proper model numbers and such stored in a memory chip he took before he left. Lord Sidious had made it a point to train him in mechanics to a certain point, so fixing the ship wasn't much of a concern, although he expected some difficulty acquiring the parts. After that he'd set a course back to Naboo to start the hunt for that Jedi twit. Wherever he was, Maul knew he'd find him…and he wouldn't stop until he did.

The only thing he'd have to do was concentrate on the Force to put himself in stealth mode. If Master Sidious was anywhere nearby and sensed his presence he'd probably be hunted down and destroyed. Dying from his master's will was not the problem—he knew he failed the Sith and knew he deserved whatever punishment set out for him if it was learned he did not in fact die. But he wanted his revenge first. That was the most important right now—especially since fate had spared him long enough to let him heal.

Being clean made Maul feel ten times better; especially once he put on fresh clothes. When he left the room, though, he noticed that the door at the end was slid open and he could see in. It was as he expected—Naturri's bedroom. He would've paid no further attention except he saw a figure cross the room absentmindedly, having no clue he was there and watching. She wasn't wearing her usual skirt and robe—instead it was just what he assumed she wore under those articles of clothing. She was slender, but equally proportioned as a woman should be in his mind. He couldn't get the thought that she was remarkable out of his head before it finished.

Shaking his head slightly, he proceeded down the hall and into the kitchen again to find something to eat. Training always made him hungry. Just as he was about to open a cabinet and start his search, Naturri appeared with another, dull pink robe covering the eye-widening body he had just seen.

"Here," she said and held out her hand. In it was the sliced lightsaber Maul had used on Naboo. He was actually surprised this time—he thought he had lost it during his escape. "You had it when I found you. I was actually kind of scared to give it back, but I figured you could do just as much damage without it."

_That and I picked up the spare_, he said to himself as he took it from her. He examined it carefully; it was chipped and dented in a few spots, but triggering the switch pushed the laser blade out. It zinged as he moved it, glad to find it was still usable. All he had to do was remove the end piece that was separated from the other half the Jedi had so nicely ruined on him, and then fasten the spare's end to this one and his dual lightsaber would be good as new. He much preferred the double-ended weapon to the single.

"I'll take you into the city first thing tomorrow," she said as she turned away. "I have a friend that owns a shop—he might have the parts you need."

"Perfect," Maul replied as he disengaged the beam of the lightsaber. He felt for her feelings to see why she was being so trusting—more so than before. At first he thought it was fear, probably after seeing him perform such simple training techniques outside. He knew she was aware, for more than one reason, that he was more than capable of taking her life in the blink of an eye. However, what he sensed wasn't fear—it was pure trust. She had a certain level of respect for him, this he was almost sure of, and that respect had turned into enough trust that she'd give him his weapon back, prepared for what could happen to her.

The Sith Lord didn't understand; _why does she not fear me? Why does she present such boldness to me?_ He asked himself as he watched her leave the room to the outdoors. As he watched her form disappear through the door where he could no longer see her, he realized something that made his heart stop quickly in his chest for a split second. _Could it be admiration? Affection, perhaps? Impossible…Even so, it doesn't matter. She might have a way to catch my eye when others never had, but I have no sentiment towards her in return. She's nothing but a mere, feeble human being…_


	8. VIII

**VIII**

The sun rose slowly over the eastern horizon, the stars above disappearing as the sky's dark blanket pulled off to reveal the tender blueness underneath. The only sounds were that of a few morning birds in nearby bushes and of the waves gently crashing over onto the beach. Darth Maul sat on the sand, only an arm's length away from the edge of the water as it reached up the shore. His legs were crossed, his feet turned up to rest atop his thighs; his arms were at rest, his hands lying open, palm down, on his knees. His yellowish eyes were closed, his mind composed and deep in thought.

Maul had been up for nearly an hour now; he was starting to revert back to his old routine of only a few hours sleep during the night, meditation in the morning, physical training after that, and another meditating session following. It was how he liked to spend his mornings; that and there was nothing else for him to do except perfect his abilities while he waited for his master to give him a mission.

Newly rebuilt lightsaber lying on his lap between his arms, Maul concentrated on the here-and-now. He could feel the dark side of the Force all around him and it made him feel stronger. The pain from his wounds was almost undistinguishable now; a few more days and he'd be able to go about his business without any sudden discomfort. By then he'd be on his way to Naboo, ship fixed, memories of Corellia behind him.

He remained alone for another half hour until Naturri walked up behind him and stopped. Maul's eyes remained shut, his mouth closed, body completely relaxed. At first she said nothing, but he knew she was looking at him. He could feel her eyes sweeping over his naked torso.

"It takes some time to get to the edge of Tyrena where Welcet's shop is," she said softly. "I made some breakfast if you're hungry."

Darth Maul waited for a moment before he got to his feet; he turned to walk without her, his hand gripping his lightsaber. He hooked it to his belt and entered the house, finding some variations of fruit neatly sliced on a plate. Sitting down at the table, pretending the creature he disliked so much wasn't sitting on the floor looking at him with curious eyes, Maul ate silently; the fruit was sweet and juicy, and although he wasn't much of a fruit eater it wasn't all that bad.

After, Maul joined Naturri by her land speeder and the two were off. Maul had cloaked himself, the hood up to cover the crown of horns atop his head and a good portion of his face if someone were to look at him quickly. Naturri was dressed in, from what he could see a long robe of some sort.

Maul kept his eyes focused on the landscaping around them. It was pretty dull, for the most part—fields, trees, the random hut stamped in the middle. Then he could see the outskirts of a large city starting to appear over the horizon. He was glad of this; he was tired of sitting and watching the scenery.

Naturri parked the speeder off to the side in front of a grayish-colored building. They both got out at the same time, Maul looking around at the crowded street. They were on the outer edge of the city in small village-type setting. There were more different species walking around than he wanted to count, all of whom looked to be visitors to the planet. It would make sense—there was a spaceport not to far from there.

Maul ignored the many glances he got; he was, after all, used to such gestures of curiousness—it wasn't everyday you saw someone with an entirely tattooed face. He smirked to himself and followed the Corellian woman into the shop.

It was a dark atmosphere, making the Sith feel at ease with the shadows that encased the entire room. The place was empty, save for a thin man standing behind a counter looking bored as could be. He was much shorter than Maul, his face pale and narrow; he had two little antennae poking up from a mass of brown hair on top of his head. The man glared at two who entered—he gulped lightly when he set eyes on the Sith.

The shopkeeper's focus switched to the other visitor and his eyes lit up. "Naturri! What brings you here today?"

"My friend here," she said nodding her head to the side towards Maul. "He needs some parts for his ship."

"Ah, well he's come to the right place," the man replied. "You have a show today, Naturri?"

"Yes, actually," she replied, glancing shortly at her companion. "Only a short one though—I'm filling in for another girl." She smiled. "You'll take care of him now, right Welcet?"

"Of course," Welcet replied, standing up straighter now.

Maul watched her turn towards the door and he waited for her to explain where she was going this time. She turned as he expected. "Like I said, I have to go put on a quick show, so I'll leave you to do your business here. You can either wait by the speeder for me or meet me in the club—it's called Setting Moon. Its two streets over; black building, you can't miss it."

Maul snarled lightly. "This wasn't part of our agreement."

"There wasn't an agreement except that I'd take you here," she said with a smile and walked out of the shop.

The corner of his mouth twitched with her words and the way she sauntered out, her hips purposely swaying to provoke him. He turned back to the man behind the counter and pulled out a small holochip that stored the list of parts he needed.

"Engine thrusters, huh?" Welcet said after reading the board. "I'd have to check my inventory—those haven't been on high demand lately. The rest of the stuff here I know for sure is back there; just give me a minute to check everything out."

Maul sighed and crossed his arms as he waited for him to check. He walked around and saw a Twi'lek heading towards the shop, but the moment he saw Maul he turned around and left. Maul smirked; he loved it when people feared him.

The character that ran the shop was lucky he did in fact have the engine thrusters Maul needed for his ship, and although the model number wasn't the same, the shop keeper insisted that they'd fit and work just the same. The option of ordering the parts was out of the question—he'd be forced to stay on Corellia longer than he already had been. However, this Welcet person was able to give him the thrusters, a new ion port that had been on the verge of failing and an extension for the hyperdrive, all of which were given a discount for knowing Naturri. He idly wondered if this Welcet person was one of those who Naturri entertained on the side.

After he had paid with the credits he had left over from previous missions, Maul stocked the equipment into the back of the speeder. Naturri hadn't returned, which made him feel highly annoyed and impatient. He wanted to go back and install the parts so he could be on his way. Half of him said to shrug it off and leave without her—she was of no use to him now. Yet he felt that for once he should appreciate what she did for him and stick around; after all, she had been the one to get him back on his feet quicker than it would've taken him to hunt things down.

Standing at the speeder for more than ten minutes bored him to the point he wanted to pick a fight with whatever random creature passed him who gave him a strange look. He finally gave in to the urges to go track Naturri down and wait for her at this club she spoke of.

Two streets over was much different from the one the speeder was parked on; this street bore darker buildings, all of which were lit with neon lights, even during the middle of the day. Instead of quiet shops there were restaurants of various types and several clubs—one of which was labeled "Setting Moon" in basic and two other languages.

Walking over, head still hidden under the coverings of his cloak, Maul noticed the several men sitting outside the door all of whom seemed to be drunk beyond compare from whatever beverage they had gulped down. He ignored them, stepping inside to the dark atmosphere of the club. It was darker inside the large room than it was back in the parts shop two streets back. Round, metal tables were settled everywhere, most seats occupied with men of several different species, some of which were whistling at a two human women that were dancing around a pole atop a platform off to the corner of the room.

Maul searched the room quickly with his eyes, using the Force to aid him, but Naturri wasn't there. He took a seat off to the side away from other spectators and cloaked himself in the Force so he'd go unnoticed. A few younger adults sat some meters away from him, but the stench from the death sticks they smoked was almost sickening to the point he wanted to ignite the drugs in their hands to bustling flame.

He might have gone through with that thought…if it hadn't been for the band switching tunes to something quick, up-beat, and loud. Through a curtain that hung behind a stage came a girl dressed in shimmering attire that covered only her bust and hip area. The Sith looked at her carefully and realized it was indeed Naturri. She looked stunning, that he'd have to admit, even with the added makeup to her face. The way she moved as she entered the room on the stage, the look of confidence on her face, the lights from the ceiling dancing over her slender, tanned body.

Maul mentally scolded himself for taking interest as she started twisting her body around, the music seeming to match her dance perfectly. It was unacceptable…but yet still undeniable. He had seen women before dressed like this, and usually he paid them no further attention except a quick glance while searching for his given quarry. However, this time it was different. He wasn't here on business—he was merely waiting. So naturally his focus was laid upon whatever caught his interest…and this girl just happened to be it.

He was aware that his concentration was broken, his mind allowing the Force to break away to reveal his presence. Naturri must have seen him sitting there because she glanced towards him and a small smile spread across her face. A strange feeling twisted in the pit of Maul's stomach as she turned around and swayed her hips, then bending back and twisting around, her eyes resting on him once again. Maul caught his lips starting to part to the point he was mesmerized. Getting a hold of himself once more, he straightened up and glanced away. It was the first time he felt himself losing control over his mind; he was not weak minded by no means, and he refused to allow her to have _any_ effect on him. Therefore, he decided, it was time to leave.

Maul left the cantina and the noise inside; he tried very hard to put the image of Naturri out of his head, but that was a little more difficult than he wanted to admit. He stood in the shadows of the awning that covered the entrance to the club, his hood up and covering eighty-percent of his face. His eyes narrowed and looked at the people around him, trying to keep himself occupied while he waited for Naturri to put on some clothes and come out so he could get started on his ship.

It was nearly another fifteen minutes before she stepped out, her hair pulled back up into a lose form, a skirt and robe covering her body once again and her face clean of heavy makeup. Maul caught her gaze and snarled lightly at her confident smile. He made no approach to talk to her; instead he started to walk away with faster-than-usual strides, a high desire to get out of the city flowing over him.

The Force told him Naturri followed closely behind, even though he couldn't see her. Her thoughts were still on him, this he knew. It almost sickened him to think that she thought that she had a certain grasp on a small, slightly unused part of his mind.

Maul continued to walk until he heard Naturri gasp and he felt her presence becoming further. He whipped around quickly to see what she was doing this time, but the site of three men, one of which was holding her arm, caught his attention immediately. Two sat at a round table outside of a tavern, the other—the one holding Naturri's arm—stood next to her, seemingly trying to coax her into sitting with them. Naturri struggled, which was a sign that she didn't agree.

Maul reached them, his eyes gleaming and staring at the three men. "I suggest you let her go," he said calmly and smoothly.

The man—a dirty, unshaved human, spit at the ground and looked at what he could see of Maul's face. "Who the hell do you think you are, buster?"

"Some tourist," another said, this one also being a human, but not as grungy looking.

Maul ignored the comment from the second man and kept his focus on the one grasping Naturri's arm. She looked between both of them, her eyes fearful, but calming quickly once Maul appeared. "I don't give second chances," he said.

"Yeah, well neither do I. So this is your only one—get out of here and let me conduct my business."

Maul's arm shot out, fingers outstretched, his use of the dark side flowing through him in a rage. He used the Force to throw the man back, his grip on the human woman's arm giving, his body flinging back into the smooth wall of the tavern. The wall cracked slightly and the man slid down.

Naturri hurried to Maul's side, her hands resting on his forearm as if for protection. He turned, moving away from her and the men at the table. Yet he knew that this meeting wasn't over yet. The Force told him the third man—a species Maul couldn't identify immediately, but a humanoid with bluish skin, nonetheless—held a blaster pistol and shot three blasts at Maul's back. The Sith unleashed his lightsaber before the first shot was fired, then repelled the three blasts away with his energy sword. The third blast jumped back to its owner and sank into his throat, killing him instantly.

The other two men looked more than frightened and scooted off and around the corner of the tavern. Maul disengaged his lightsaber and hooked it back to his belt, acting like nothing had happened. He continued on towards where the speeder was parked, Naturri following.

They reached the speeder and Maul took the motion to take the driver's seat. "What do you think you're doing?" Naturri asked coming up along side after he already sat down.

"I have the controls this time," he said quickly. His tone alone was enough to persuade Naturri to say nothing more and get in passenger seat. Immediately he switched on the engines and took off, reaching top speed before they passed the border of the city. He smiled for a brief moment when he felt Naturri was a little nervous at his actions; she gripped the side handle of the speeder rather tightly.

"Did you know those men?" Maul asked suddenly, even surprising himself at allowing his curiosity get the better of him.

Naturri nodded and looked at her hands that sat in her lap. "They're men that pull me aside after some of my shows….They don't let me go until—"

"They've had their fill," Maul said with a loathsome snarl. "I should've killed the other two."

Naturri looked at him suddenly, but Maul snarled at her, mottled teeth bearing in one corner. "Do not think I did it for you," he said. "Creatures like that who meddle with my affairs disgust me."

They arrived back at the shoreline in nearly half the time it took to travel to the shop in Tyrena. Maul parked the speeder, but didn't turn the engines off. Naturri gave him a puzzled look, one that was mixed with concern. "I'm going to my ship," he said. "Come if you must, but I'm taking your speeder."

Naturri shook her head and crawled out, moving a few steps away before turning to look at him. Maul gave her no expression; instead he pulled away and journeyed down the beach to where his ship sat waiting.


	9. IX

**IX**

The Sith Lord had no idea how much time had gone by since he started his work on his ship, but he knew it had been a while. The first task that was easy enough to complete was pull it away from the sand bank it had crashed into, using the Force to aid him. Then, after removing the clothing that covered the upper portion his tattooed body, Maul set to work on what needed to be replaced.

He spent several minutes studying and memorizing what wires hooked to where, how everything was placed, and reading the labels on the new equipment before he blew himself up. The hyper drive extension was probably the easiest thing to connect; the ion port gave him some trouble and aggravated him to the point he was ready to toss it into the calm sea behind him.

Maul had just finished the final hook up to the ion port, ready to move to installing the new thrusters when he noticed someone walking towards him. He inclined his head to his right only slightly to get a better look at who it was. He exhaled with some frustration, turning his attention back to the underside of the ship he worked under.

Naturri stopped several feet from him and waited silently for him to acknowledge her. He purposely made her wait, walking around to the side of the ship where the new thrusters sat next to her speeder. "What do you want?" He asked, putting as much annoyance into his tone as he could.

Naturri frowned. "Be grateful I took the time to walk all the way out here, since you took _my_ landspeeder," she said. "I brought you something to drink. I figured you'd be hot and thirsty by now."

Maul's upper lip twitched slightly in the corner; he was a little thirsty, but it wasn't something he was letting his thoughts dwell on. Quenching thirst was nothing more than an act for the weak, for those that didn't have the discipline to allow their minds to overrule their body's wants until such an act was absolutely necessary to live. He had gone through a period of time—a few days—without food, water or sleep.

Yet watching her kneel down to pull out a canteen from the pack she carried on her shoulder made him want to accept the offer. He turned away, picking up the engine part that was nearly half the size of him, using the Force only slightly to assist him so he wouldn't break his back. He could feel his muscles expand almost to their limit as he walked over to the exposed engine he had opened up earlier.

Naturri had followed him under the ship, but Maul paid her no attention as he put the piece down so he could remove the old one. "You're barely sweating," Naturri pointed out in surprise. "You've been out here all day doing this work."

"Physical work doesn't affect me; I've trained myself to avoid such things," he commented as he unhooked the thruster. He pulled it out and tossed it to the side opposite where she stood.

"At least drink," she said.

Maul lifted the new piece up and held it with one hand as the other connected it to stay in place. He could feel her eyes on him, the weight of her gaze bearing down him to the point it drove him mad. He finished his work and snatched the canteen from her hands, drinking from it quickly. He tossed it back, a bit of the water inside spilling out, and continued to work.

Looking over the wires, Maul figured out quickly which ones needed to go where, what still needed to be plugged into give the new thrusters power, and so forth. It was more tedious than difficult. When he was pretty sure it was finished, he backed away to inspect his work; the ship had a special mechanism that dislodged the engine from the shell of the body, lowering it to ground level so people could work on it easier. The design of the ship was tricky, but once figured out everything was potentially straightforward.

Maul went inside the ship and engaged the switch that would allow the ship to put it back together, the engine raising up with mechanical arms and hiding itself away in the bulbous back end. He walked back down the ramp and started to pick up his deserted clothing, putting it back on and finishing it off with the utility belt. His lightsaber still lay on the sand, but merely holding out his hand and barely using the Force brought it up into his clutches; he hooked it to his belt before picking up his cloak.

"I'm assuming you're finished," Naturri said.

"So smart," Maul replied sarcastically, but giving her no eye contact as he strapped a small wrist controller onto his left arm. He tapped in a few codes and the engines of his space ship boomed, the instant exhaust from the rested machine puffing out to push away the top layer of sand on the ground behind it. Maul looked up in satisfaction—it sounded as if he did the job right.

"Sounds good to me," she said from behind him, but he didn't answer.

Darth Maul nodded, mostly to himself, and checked the ground to make sure he didn't leave anything behind. When he was sure there was nothing, he started to walk up the ramp.

"Wait!" Naturri yelled out, hurrying to the edge of the ramp.

"Its time for my departure," Maul said over his shoulder. "I suggest you get off."

Naturri took a step forward instead of back. "You're just going to take off? Just like that?"

Maul snickered and turned to her. "There's nothing for me here," he told her quickly. "I have business to attend to. You're work is done and mine here is as well. Now get off or I'll throw you off."

Naturri looked distressed, but defiantly remained still. "At least let me give you food—dinner or something? I mean, you haven't eaten since this morning."

Maul kept his back at her for a moment while he contemplated her words. It was true; he hadn't eaten anything since those few pieces of fruit she had left him that morning. It had been nearly an entire day, and if he knew how things would go, he wouldn't be eating again for some time; not decent food, that is. It also reminded him that he foolishly didn't think of restocking any supplies. Maul was in such a hurry to remove him from her and the planet that he hadn't been thinking logically.

Sighing, feeling like he was allowing himself to give into her plead, he shut off the engines and jumped off the side of the ramp, heading towards the speeder. Naturri followed quickly, getting into the passenger side without a word and allowed him to drive back to her home.

Once back, Naturri got out and quickly got to work on preparing food. Maul waited outside, unhooking his lightsaber from his belt and looking it over in his gloved hands. Soon it would be activated to penetrate the flesh of that Jedi Padawan; he would not allow himself to fail again. The brat would never see it coming—he had plans on stalking his prey until the right moment, and then he'd strike. There would be no chance of escape. He'd allow the Padawan to perhaps have a slight thought of hope for survival, and when that moment was sensed, he'd kill. It would be bliss. Soon, that moment would come.

The sun was setting once again, Maul's eyes casting up and looking at the stars starting to peak through the darkening sky. Like the day ended, so would the Jedi's life. It gave him a feeling of excitement, of anticipation. But his thoughts dissolved quickly when Naturri started coming up behind him. He turned before she had a chance to rest her hand on his arm like she intended to do in order to get his attention. He went inside and sat down at the table, wondering what sort of concoction she had prepared this time.

Maul ate in silence; Naturri doing the same, her creature's grunting sounds the only thing that could be heard above their own chewing. Maul wanted to dwell on the thought of killing the Jedi, but with the human in front of him that was easier said than done. Every time he turned his mind to think of which approach he should take his eyes caught sight of her and he pictured her back at that club in Tyrena.

Naturri said nothing as she cleared the table when they were both done. At first Maul kept his gaze on the table, but when she turned away to go into the kitchenette, he found his eyes searching for her, stopping on her form, grazing over her body from head to toe. He cursed himself for his lack of discipline he had easily kept his whole life…until now. Perhaps it was the thought of being away from his master, not being on a specific mission that kept him from serving himself…

_Fool!_ His mind shouted in silence. _You are a Sith! You do not need such pathetic pleasures; you're desires are destroying the Jedi! Take yourself away from her!_

The only way out, as Maul saw it, was to not linger any longer. He stood up, brushing his hand over his lightsaber to remind himself that it was all he needed. He would leave her; she didn't need the satisfaction of knowing of his departure.

But she was watching him and stopped him before he could take more than half a dozen steps. Maul wanted to lash out, to tell her to leave him alone, tell her that she meant nothing to him! Yet he waited, back turned towards her as she approached him almost cautiously, his heart starting to race for reasons he honestly couldn't bring himself to understand.

Her hand on his arm sent a shiver down his spine in a way he was not accustomed to feeling. He turned to look at her, his cowl already having been down and letting nothing block his sight from resting on her delicate face. All around Maul could hear the dark side calling him, telling him to be rid of her now so there were no more setbacks…but he couldn't. Even with all the years—his whole life's worth of training to bring him to what he was wasn't enough to pull him away from a secret yearning that was starting to form in the depths of his body.

Naturri walked in front of him, her eyes locked on his, her hands resting on his arms. Maul knew what she was going for, and to his unwilling surprise…what he wanted. There was no denying it now, this he knew. Before words could be spoken, the two leaned forward, their mouths locking with pure lust. Maul knew he was quickly losing control of his senses, but for now it didn't matter. All he wanted was her. He figured he never should have gone into that club and watched her dance—perhaps if he hadn't this would've been avoidable.

Yet he let the thoughts go as they started backing down the hall, their hands exploring the other's body without hesitation. The closest room would've been the one Maul had been given, but Naturri led him straight ahead to her own quarters and quickly they were a tangled mess on top of her bed.

The Sith Lord had given in to his desires of lust for his human woman; his discipline failed, the dark side put aside for the time being. The only thing that mattered now was his love making to this woman. Her smooth skin against his own, tattooed body sent a ripple of energy through him. His mouth kissed her wherever it could, his teeth biting down gently every time she raked her nails down his back.

He was lost, but it didn't matter—for now he didn't want to go back. He wanted this to continue. The feeling of her with him was intoxicating and he wanted more of it. The sound of his name rolling off her tongue drove him to the point where he'd thought he'd lose his mind. Suddenly a phantom of passion washed over him, his body almost shaking, her arms and legs holding onto him for dear life. Her hands held the sides of his head as he kissed her, his tongue invading her mouth while her fingers traced each horn on his head.

And then everything halted for a second—his body started to calm down, and his unusually quick breathing started to smooth out to his normal pace once again. Her luscious brown eyes stared at him, making him want to go back to the moment that just passed. Naturri ran her hand down his chest as he propped his upper body up on his elbows situated on either side of her. Her hand went further down and he could feel his body reacting. He decided to forget everything about his life for one night and let this take him over until he could stand it no more.


	10. X

**X**

Darth Maul, feeling as if he betrayed his cause, left the human to her sleeping the next morning. If it hadn't been for her blurting out for him to stay a while longer, he probably would've found himself traveling in space with no means of supplies. He recalled having little left when he arrived on Naboo those few weeks ago, but most of what he kept aboard was used when he was forced to stay on Tatooine for more than one day when he started the last mission given by Darth Sidious.

Without hesitation, Maul dressed himself and took Naturri's landspeeder back to Tyrena where he'd find what he needed. During the trip though, he thought about her. He cursed himself for being overtaken like that. It wasn't like him to lose his self control. Physical pleasures were never a necessity to him, unless it was pushing his body beyond its limit in combat training to prove that he was better than any living creature. Yet she had found a way to pull him out of that ego.

Dawn brushed over the land quickly and Maul found himself wondering what the human would think when she found she lay alone in the bed. He figured she'd be more than happy when he returned—he had no use for her speeder other than transporting him to and from the city, therefore he'd bring it back.

Maul drove past the shop he had bought the parts for his Infiltrator from, going down the next street where he recalled a produce mart while making his way to the Setting Moon club the previous day. As he expected the streets were already littered with the variety of peoples, most of them walking around like there was no one else in the universe. He spotted what he wanted, though and parked on in front. The people leaving the front doors immediately looked up and gave him a concerned gaze, but he pushed them aside with the Force and shook his head at the easiness of such a task.

Inside he quickly gathered what he needed for any further trips in the galaxy, although going to Naboo wouldn't be very far. He had a feeling he'd be heading to Coruscant next, but he wanted to be prepared for any trip following. He purchased a dozen food capsules along with some spare medical supplies—Force only knew that at his rate of luck he might need it.

It had only been an hour or so since he had left, but as soon as Maul was finished with his business in Tyrena he was on his way back to the shore. He'd drop off the speeder and make his departure to the Infiltrator; then he'd be back on course to find the Jedi and confront his master of his failure in capturing the Queen of Naboo.

At least that was the plan when he returned. When he entered the door he heard stiffened sniffles coming from the sitting area. He frowned, his eyes searching for the creator of the noise and probed the room for any sign of something different. Finding no one out of the ordinary was there, Maul turned to find Naturri curled in the corner of the room, tears dripping out of her eyes and her face red from crying.

"What's going on here?" He asked, pulling her to her feet with only one hand on her arm. Naturri coughed and leaned closer to him, but Maul made no point to comfort her. Instead he pushed her into the nearby chair and demanded the same question.

Naturri took several deep breaths before answering, but even then her voice stuttered. "As soon as you left, they barged in here…I thought it was you. I heard you leaving, so I got up…but then the door started to open and I came in to great you…and…"

"Stop your pathetic crying," Maul snapped. "Who do you mean?"

Naturri didn't answer. Maul knelt down and shook her shoulders to make her speak. She looked at him, her blood-shot eyes trying desperately to avoid his. "Answer me!"

"The men from yesterday…rather a few of their friends…"

Maul snarled openly and stood up, his hand pulling the lightsaber free from his belt.

"Maul, don't!" Naturri called out as she jumped to her feet. Darth Maul took a few steps forward, but Naturri grabbed his arm and held it tightly. "Please! Don't do it!"

"They'll pay for their intrusion," Maul snapped. "I do not tolerate such scum."

"Please!" Naturri begged, more tears flowing from her eyes. She yanked on the fabric of his tunic, trying to stop him, but he kept moving towards the exit. "I beg you! Don't kill them!"

"Why?" Maul yelled at her, turning about and looking down at her with such anger that it could've killed her at the speed of light if he focused on it. "You allow such men to come to your door, demand what they want and you willingly give it to them! You're weak and pathetic and I will not tolerate such insolence!"

"You can't kill them!" She hollered, but he quickly shoved her back where she stumbled and fell to the floor.

Maul calmed himself and turned away from her helpless form sitting on the floor. Her crying softened now that he made his point. "Watch me," he said and left it at that as he left.

Darth Maul searched the area, squinting his eyes in the mid-morning sun to focus on the land ahead. The dark side picked up his enemy and told him that they were not far ahead. Maul figured that the men—four of them—must have left when they heard his speeder approaching. He became angry with himself for not sensing their presence as he got closer to the little house, for he was much too preoccupied with leaving the planet.

Abandoning any quick thoughts of moving towards the speeder to catch them, Maul darted forward into a full-out run. Not only would he get the satisfaction of killing someone for a reason, but he would also have a brief chance of stretching his legs. The Force gave him the pressure he needed to run faster than anyone could dream of; anyone looking would only see a flash of black streaking across, having no chance of making his form out.

Maul smiled when he started gaining on the men on their easy-going speeder-bikes. They were making a slow escape—that would be their downfall. As soon as he was close enough Maul's hand shot out and the dark side tipped all four bikes over, the men flying to the ground. They all looked up and shot a nervous glance at the approaching Sith Lord.

A smile broke Maul's lips and before the men knew it he was upon them. He leapt into the air with a double-somersault, his duel-ended lightsaber coming to life on both ends to shoot more fear into his enemies' hearts. They yelled out, one falling where he stood and holding his arms up in defense…as if he had a chance to block any attack.

Maul landed in front of him, his lightsaber coming down to slice both arms off, then bringing the other end of his blade up to sever the creature's neck. The head rolled off and Maul leapt to his next victims. Two men darted away together, one running for his life and not looking back, but the other taking the time to turn and shoot a blaster at the upcoming menace. Maul snickered and repelled the blast back, aiming it perfectly at the man's back and getting him down easily. The next man was in close enough range for Maul to extend his arm and surge the end of the lightsaber through the man's body. The creature paused suddenly in his tracks and slumped down soon after.

Only one remained and Maul would take pleasure in slowly killing this one. The coward had stumbled several times in his footing, but even though he had regained his running abilities, he hadn't gotten very far. Once again, Maul called towards the Force, freezing his enemy in mid-escape. As he casually walked over to the fear-filled human, Maul turned him around so the fool could see death as it approached. Maul snickered, but then turned his face into the most evil expression that automatically came to him as he stopped in front of the human.

"Please! I beg you!" he cried as he helplessly hung in Maul's Force-grasp.

"Beg for a swift slaughter," Maul said as he twirled the lightsaber behind him to his other hand. "Die."

Within a flash, in a movement so quick no one could've seen it without recording it and slowing the image down, Maul's lightsaber struck the man in three places—cutting off both legs, severing his mid-section, and then neck. The parts fell to the ground and Maul kicked the head that rolled towards his foot.

His task was complete. At last he felt his body feeling normal again; the easy kill was enough to get him back on his feet from a longer-than-usual healing process. Deactivating his lightsaber, Maul looked around at his kills. Three human men and Twi'lek…in fact, Maul recognized him to be the same one that entered the parts shop in Tyrena who quickly turned around at the sight of the stranger at the counter.

Thinking no more of the scene, Maul walked at a normal pace back to where he left Naturri. He figured she would've calmed down by now, probably greet him in a way that he'd be pleased with for killing her attackers. Naturally her attempt to dissuade him from killing the worthless idiots was only because she wasn't thinking clearly and wanted him to stay with her instead.

Upon returning, though, he didn't receive the greeting he expected. Naturri had picked up the few things that had fallen over from the attack, but that was all. She sat in the chair he had tossed her to, her legs curled up with her knees at her chest. Maul frowned at the sight of her and the lack of eye-contact.

"Stand up and get over it," he told her. "They're dead. You need not worry anymore about them."

Naturri closed her eyes, her face cringing as if she was about to let lose another flood of tears. "You don't understand," she said softly.

Maul didn't respond to her question. Instead he went over to her and pulled her to her feet where she buried her face into his chest and clung to the fabric that covered his biceps. Maul looked down at her, and then shoved her away again. "You show vulnerability," he said, but thought better of pursuing the subject.

Instead he moved to the cooling compartment and pulled out a pitcher of water and filled a glass. He held it in front of her and after a short moment she took it. "Why did those men come here?"

Naturri sighed and took a sip, trying desperately to calm herself. "The man that came after me yesterday sent them…because you attacked them at the club."

Maul snickered. "And if I had been myself I would've killed him too."

"I can't afford him to die," she said.

"So you can serve his hungry needs?" Maul said with hatred. "You disgust me if that's all you care about; a man like that has nothing to offer you."

"And what do you have to offer me?" She asked quickly, her eyes finally meeting his for the first time that day.

Maul's head leaned back, his eyes locked on her serious face. He snarled lightly and turned to leave. He was glad she said nothing as he went outside—if she had, he probably would've killed her.

Darth Sidious had once told Maul never to dwell on one thing; always be ready for an enemy to strike; never let your guard down…and finish what you've started. For whatever reason—something he avoided coming up with excuse for—Darth Maul defied all of those teachings. Perhaps the enemy was Naturri…a simple human that had somehow found the courage to stand up to him, to make him weak with a pitiful dance, to make him feel a lust shoveling through his stomach until that lust was fulfilled. That was probably the reason why Maul hadn't returned to the Infiltrator…why he remained on Corellia.

The remainder of the day was spent training—he did countless exercises over and over again until he became bored and almost tired. He focused his mind, concentrated on the sand until a whirlwind of dust encircled his entire body. And yet he still didn't feel better. His anger swelled and he forced it to swell more so he could feed off it and turn it into his dark power.

By sunset, though, Maul had had enough. He was tempted to leave now, forget about staying here any longer—he had lingered far too long. His master would be more than displeased with his recent performance and he knew if it were under normal circumstances he would've gotten a beating for his behavior.

Maul turned and started walking away from the open sea where he had been standing for several minutes pondering his choices. He faced the path to his ship, but his feet turned in the direction of the house. He wanted a quick glass of that kier libsa…and then he'd be off.

When he entered the kitchenette, he expected to see Naturri sitting at the table, perhaps watching him perform his exercises, but she wasn't there. He sensed she was down the hall…it was better that way. Swiftly he moved to the cooling compartment and pulled out the pitcher of the pink drink, only to find there was less than half remaining.

Pouring himself a full glass, though, Maul drank it at a steady rate. His hustle failed, however, for Naturri appeared in the doorway with a stillness and silence that surprised him. At first her eyes focused on the floor, but in a moment the looked up at him, just as he finished his drink.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, "if I disappointed you earlier."

Maul raised his brow, although he didn't think she'd be able to tell the change in his expression easily. He moved over to her reluctantly and looked down her at her. The brown eyes that shifted to meet his gaze took hold immediately and Maul could feel the lust starting to build once again. _Perhaps one more night wouldn't hurt_, he told himself.

Naturri must have had the same idea because she put her hands on his shoulders just before he picked her up. Her legs wrapped around his waist and she kissed him eagerly. Maul pushed her against the nearest wall for a moment, holding onto tightly, pushing against her with a decent amount of force.

Maul allowed curses flow through his mind, but after a moment he ignored any rational side that tried to break through—he needed on more night with her. He needed to fill a gap in his being once more, and then he'd return to the life he had lead since he was a small boy taken from his home.

Maul's tongue swept over Naturri's jaw as he carried her down the hall to her room like the previous night. Putting her down, they quickly undressed the other and soon they were experiencing the same explorations, the same feelings as they both had the previous night.

Darth Maul awoke to a dark room some several hours later. Dawn had yet to grace the planet with its presence, leaving the scene outside illuminated only by what light the moon had to provide. A small stir of the creature next to him made his eyes shift to his right. Naturri laid belly down, her head resting on his shoulder, an arm draped over his stomach. Maul was on his back, one arm trapped beneath her body, the other laying free by his side.

Lust had taken over his mind and he hadn't even tried to fight it—not hard enough, that is. He had been in the company with a couple of women before, for brief moments though, but never had he desired to spend hours with any of them. This human somehow ensnared him into her web, filling him with passion instead of hatred. He frowned at his behavior and was mildly glad his master wasn't around—otherwise there'd be hell to pay.

But now it was time to leave. He had things to do and he knew it would be a long journey before finding his quarry. Things would be almost back to normal the moment his ship left this planet. And unlike some weak minded fools, he wouldn't look back.

Maul pulled his arm from under the girl and untangled himself from her. He stood up, his balance faltering for a split second, but he gained it back quickly. His black clothes were thrown to the floor, that of which he picked up and started to dress himself in silence. He watched the human sleep, she being unaware that he's missing from her side.

Once he was back to his normal look, lightsaber securely strapped to his side, he gave the girl one last glance—and then left. He decided to leave her speeder and make his journey back to the Infiltrator on foot. It didn't take that long, but it felt good to stretch his body out before he was locked away in a cockpit until he reached Naboo.

Inside the ship, engines revving, navigation system computing the codes recently entered, Maul brought up the landing gear and the ship lifted off the ground. The Infiltrator rose into the air, slowly at first, but switching on the new thrusters boosted the engines to shoot forth into the waking sky of Corellia. In minutes Maul would be in space, the memory of the planet behind him.


	11. XI

**XI**

Naboo: a peaceful planet filled with blue sky, shimmering blue water and green fields. Somewhere in the depths lived the Gungans, a type of aquatic humanoid creature; but above in the open lived humans in their lush homes centered in glorious gardens. The city of Theed sat quietly, the Naboo moving about their business, peace amongst them once again. This is where Darth Maul found himself now—he would return to where he left off and trace the steps of his enemy.

Maul wasn't surprised when the blockade surrounding the exterior of the planet was no longer in place, the Trade Federation obviously having lost and left. Neimoidians were a weak species and Maul detested them. He had questioned his master more than once why the powerful Sith chose such a group to help carry out their ultimate plan, but the answer wasn't always straight forward and completely understandable. Yet Maul still did his master's bidding and asked no further questions of his master's plans.

Theed Palace looked peaceful. The usual amount of guards blocked the main entrance, people wondered around the front and inside, but there was no sign of a single Jedi stalking the grounds. Maul frowned and made his way to the building, cloaking himself in the dark side of the Force so he would go unnoticed. There was still no sign of any Jedi, and he was sure by now he might've felt something from the Force if they were indeed there.

He entered through an open window on the side of the palace, finding himself in the bright, marble floored-and-pillared hall that led to the throne room. He figured Queen Amidala was back and safe as could be now, the Neimoidians gone for good.

His search of the palace was quick and easy—with the new found peace there were few guards that he had to slip past wherever he went. But to his misfortune, the Jedi had gone and he'd be forced to continue his search elsewhere.

Maul made his way to the back of the palace where he'd make his departure. He'd rather move around the outside where he could blend in with the crowd, even though the Force kept those with weak minds oblivious to his presence. Though as he did, he thought for several minutes where the Jedi might've gone. The most obvious place was back to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. He'd most likely learn something valuable there. However, it would be much more difficult to get in than the Theed Palace. There, he'd run into a Jedi around every corner; the Jedi were trained to sense the unusual—and someone close to the dark side would be at the top of that list. He'd have to develop a plan during the trip.

In the meantime, however, he'd have to also consider the likely possibility that his master had learned of his escape from the Padawan and that he was in fact still alive. Maul tried not to think what would happen when his master learned that Maul had kept himself in hiding instead of contacting Sidious of his failure. The punishment would be great and painful, although Maul would bear it without yielding.

The Infiltrator sat where he had left it, its form invisible to wandering eyes via its sophisticated cloaking device. He sat in the pilots chair for several minutes before turning on the engines. He plotted the course to Coruscant, but hesitated for a moment. Jumping into the Jedi Temple was a fool's game. He would most likely be found and hunted down—he could take on two Jedi, perhaps three at a time, but a whole army of them was suicide and he wasn't about to risk it.

The only alternative was to wait outside the temple, no matter how long it'd take, and wait for the Padawan to leave. Once he did he could quickly jump down and take his revenge and be gone before others had a chance to arrive. He'd only have a moment, for the Jedi would discover the presence of the dark side immediately.

Finally Darth Maul started the engines and left Naboo, no one on the planet having any inkling that he had been there a second time. It wouldn't take very long to reach the planet he where he trained himself for the course of his life, but the tension was growing in his chest. He wanted to get this done, even if it would be a glorious moment to fulfill revenge on that particular Jedi.

The sun had set on the side of Coruscant Maul headed towards. It had been only a few hours of travel time at a normal speed, but he felt like he had been trapped in the ship for days. He was careful to avoid the Jedi Temple as he entered the vicinity it sat in, setting the ship down atop a vacant building. He kept the shroud on the ship engaged so no one would go consider checking it out.

Maul walked down the ramp and stepped down on the roof to gaze at the city. The Jedi Temple was dead ahead and he remembered what he and Darth Sidious had been planning for years. They would destroy the Jedi and take over the Republic. He had dreamt of that moment since he could remember and it had been going smoothly until that day on Naboo. The rage inflated inside him and he jumped down to the walkway on the side of the building. He would quickly dispose of the Jedi Padawan and then return to his master, hopefully getting some sort of understanding of the events, but he had still killed his enemy—even if it was several weeks overdue.

Keeping the dark side close, Maul went undercover as a mere tourist, hailing a cab to take him to the edge of the Jedi Temple. The droid that controlled the taxi stared at him briefly, but did as told and brought him to the temple.

Maul stepped onto the grounds where people moved about in every direction. The temple was a large, dome-shaped building, thousands of years old and occupied at one time by every Jedi to ever live. He snarled at the site of one of them as they passed, talking to some strange creature. This Jedi was a Zabrak, like himself, and it disgusted him to know that someone of his own species had taken the Jedi Oath.

Looking around, Maul found a spot next to a tall statue that would serve his purposes for the time being. Its form cast a dark shadow onto the road—it'd be perfect for him to hide in. He stepped in it, looking about to see if the Padawan he searched for was somewhere nearby. Alas the boy wasn't, but he'd have to leave the temple sooner or later. And Maul would wait until he did.

For hours Maul watched people come and go, Jedi and normal aliens alike. His impatience was growing and he wanted nothing more than to jump into that stupid temple and destroy as much as he could before someone struck him down. But he wouldn't and didn't. He'd wait. He told himself that even if Darth Sidious decided it was time for Maul to end his life—which he'd do instantly upon his master's wishes—he did not want to ruin the plan to destroy the Jedi for good.


	12. XII

**XII**

A full day had passed and Maul still waited next to the statue, having only moved to relocate himself as the shadow moved with the rising and setting sun. He willed himself to stay patient, using the dark side to relax him and keep his mind on things other than the growing anxiety that tempted to take over.

Then, finally, after waiting for what seemed like an eternity, the one he sought came out of the front of the temple and walked down the front stairs. Maul straightened up, his arms coming down from their crossed position over his chest, his right hand reaching for his lightsaber. However, his hand paused before unhooking the weapon. He snarled to himself as he saw not one or two, but nearly a dozen more following him out.

Anger flowed through Maul's muscles like a roaring river; most of those around his prey were older, which meant they weren't mere Padawan learners. If they had been Maul would've jumped in and slaughtered them all, but that many knights against just one of him wasn't smart.

Maul noticed a young boy next to the one he hunted. Even from the distance Maul stood, he could tell that the Force was strong with him. He couldn't tell what skills the boy had, but with such a powerful feeling emitting from him, Maul knew that he didn't have a chance, even with his perfected powers. Not to mention there were too many bystanders, and as good of a hunter as he was, he wouldn't be able to go after all of them and make sure they told no one of what they saw.

It was more than frustrating to watch the Jedi move forward down the steps of the temple. Maul observed from his shadowed hiding place as the youngest stayed close to the one he wanted revenge on. From the looks of things, the boy was his enemy's Padawan; perhaps the one he fought had moved up the ranks now. It was possible that in the few weeks Maul had been out of commission that this new Jedi Knight had become more powerful.

Maul still felt, however, that the new master was no match for someone of his own skills. He would follow them and see where they went; he would not lose track of him again. The right opportunity to strike would come and Maul would be there to grasp it.

He moved from shadow to shadow, keeping the Jedi in his constant sights as they moved along, having no clue that they were being watched by a Sith Lord. Whether they were certain the Sith did still exist, he didn't care; all he cared about was destruction of their order.

There was a skycar waiting on a raised landing platform—apparently the Jedi were leaving. Maul raised his wrist to summon the Infiltratorwhen he felt something disturbing come to his attention. He pretended he didn't sense it and punched in the code on the wrist controller to get the ship started when he felt it again. Something deep inside him told him that he should go back to Corellia.

_Ignore it_, he told himself, but it kept pestering him in the back of his mind. Only three of the Jedi had entered the skycar—including the one he wanted—the rest stepping back for the vehicle to take off. The controller strapped to his wrist gave a small beep, signifying that the autopilot had kicked in and the ship would be over him in less than thirty seconds.

The skycar lifted off the ground and turned about to head in the other direction. Maul looked up as if to see where his ship was, but the Jedi's shuttle was already in transit as his space ship arrived. Maul lowered the ramp using the controller and jumped up, the Force giving him the extra boost he needed to reach the ship's entrance.

Hurrying to the pilot's chair, he sat down and took the ship off autopilot, turning it to the right so he could follow the Jedi's skycar. He could make it out in the bustling traffic of Coruscant, but the nagging feeling in the back of his mind was at the point of driving him mad. It kept telling him he should go back to Corellia, but for what reasons? There was nothing there for him—the human, yes, but she meant nothing to him.

Or did she?

Maul pretended he didn't ask that question. She was nothing but a night's amusement. But then again…if that was the case why was he contemplating whether to go check things out? He didn't want to—the Jedi he wanted to kill was right in front of him! Revenge was at his fingertips!

_Fool!_ He yelled at himself as he turned the ship around and headed up into the sky, avoiding the many rows of traffic that intersected almost every direction. He put the engines on to full power and used the navigation system to plot a direct course to Corellia.

Maul couldn't remember the last time he was so angry with himself. His lack of self-discipline sickened him to the point he thought he deserved whatever came to him. His master would be most displeased to find out that he couldn't control the thought that something could be wrong with a women he had no connections to, nor had a right to even think about. He was a _Sith Lord_, not some weak individual who shared the same daily rituals as everyone else.

The ship was signaled to jump into hyperspace—it would get him to Corellia much quicker. Hopefully he'd be able to get there and off quickly and return to Coruscant without much delay. The more he thought about it, the more Maul was convinced the Jedi were going to another part of the planet, not leaving for some mission. If they were, they could've gone to the station near the temple; the skycar had been heading in the opposite direction.

Corellia came up fast and Maul took she ship out of hyperspace, but kept the engines onto full power until he entered the planet's atmosphere. He traveled across the ocean, high in the clouds, only to find that his destination was suffering from a heavy rain shower.

The dwelling he had stayed in for the past few weeks was as he left it, looking as if everything was normal. Lights were on inside, and everything seemed quiet from where he sat in the pilot's seat in the ship. Landing several meters away, Maul shut the engines off and lowered the ramp. If the girl was inside going about her business, he'd leave without making an appearance. He didn't want questions from her on his sudden departure two days before.

Maul's cloak soaked up the rain quickly, his clothes quickly becoming drenched. He quickly made his way to one of the windows of the home and peered inside from an angle. The room was empty and as he searched her out with the Force, the other rooms seemed vacant as well.

The Sith took it upon himself to go in and look for her, wondering why lights were on when she wasn't home. What he saw once he was inside, however, told him that something indeed had happened to her. The kitchenette was trashed, along with the small sitting area. Vases lay shattered, along with cooking utensils, dishes, and other things lying all over the floor. He didn't like the looks of things—it indicated a struggle.

Moving down the hall, he found that her room was clean, but also empty of its owner. Maul went back out onto the terrace and looked around. Even with the darkness and rain he could see that there were several pairs of footprints in the sand. He hurried down in a fast walk, his hand gripping the lightsaber on his belt and pulling it away from where it rested. Ahead he could see three figures—whatever had happened had done so in the past few minutes. The Force had warned him of an ill-moment before it happened; long before it happened.

What he saw made him furious; his teeth clenched together and his eyes narrowed. Three men—two of them being the ones they ran into in Tyrena, one he didn't recognize—were beating Naturri to the point she was laying helplessly on the ground. Maul dived in using the Force to quicken his pace to the point the average eye wouldn't have spotted him.

The men laughed, yelled, whistled, but they hadn't the slightest clue what was about to happen. A bright beam of light—red light—drove straight down, slicing the neck of the man that stood furthest from the suffering woman. The other men stopped and watched his head roll down the sand, the body falling to a heap in front of them. They twisted around, holding the blasters they were using to beat down on the girl.

Maul watched them, his blood boiling, the dark side holding onto him so tightly he felt he'd burst with rage. He had already turned off his lightsaber, waiting for the men to stop their actions to look for the intruder.

"Whose there?" The grungiest yelled out, his eyes wide and the fear washing over him like icy cold water.

"That's it," the other said, "I'm done here—she's not worth it!"

Maul stepped forward, his body nothing but a black figure in the rain to them, but he saw them as clear as day. "Its time to die," he said smoothly. He raised his arm, his thumb pressing the switch that engaged the lightsaber, its single energy beam shooting out to illuminate only the bottom portion of his hooded head.

"What in the name of—" the dirty one said as he backed away. "Look, you can have her! She's nothing to us now!"

Maul raised the weapon, his teeth clenched and bared. With one simple swipe the blade sliced through the man's shoulder, making a diagonal cut down and through his opposite side's hip. He fell in a shambles, creating a gasp from Naturri who forced herself to sit up to watch.

The third man was already running, stumbling in his own footsteps in the sand, blaster laying on the sand and long forgotten as its master attempted escape. Maul's left arm came up, his hand stretched out to its limit, the Force dragging the man backwards toward the hunter. His cries of terror were heard over the downpour of raindrops, his arms flailing about as Maul brought him closer. Without a second though, he whipped his arm up, the Force throwing the man into mid-air and releasing him. Maul's feet sprung him up, leaping into the air to meet the man in the falling, lightsaber swinging and severing the human's upper body from its lower portion.

The parts landed in the wet sand, Maul coming down not far from them. He looked around at his work and snarled softly at the mess he made. Switching off the lightsaber and hooking it back to its place at his side, he moved to the frightened and wounded girl he saved from certain death. She was barely conscious when he knelt down and picked her up, but still she put her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest as he carried her back towards her home.


	13. XIII

**XIII**

One could probably see the steam rising off of the two figures as they entered the dry room, their bodies completely soaked. Darth Maul moved down the short hall of the dwelling, not caring about what he stepped on in the process. Naturri clung to him loosely, her eyes closed in a slightly pained expression. Once in her own private room, Maul set her down on the end of the bed, laying her down gently so not to hurt her any further.

Quickly the Sith Lord set about searching through her small closet for something warmer to change into—staying in those wet clothes of hers was not a good idea. He found a plain gray, long and straight dress; it would have to do. Going back over to the bed he used one arm to lift her into a sitting position.

"Can you move?" he asked calmly. She gave him a short nod, but kept her eyes partly closed. Maul became frustrated immediately as he tried to help her out of the heavy wet clothes that stuck her body. He could tell just by looking that her arm was broken in at least two places, so he was careful not to move it more than he had to.

Naturri hissed quietly to herself several times with certain movements, but finally Maul was able to get the wet material off and the dry on. Wherever the wet clothes fell, he didn't care; he lifted her easily and brought her up further on the bed so she could lay her head on the pillows. He set to work at checking for further injuries. While undressing her he had found several bruises and cuts on her arms, legs and back. He could tell that she had put up a good struggle, but in the end her attackers won out.

Naturri's brown eyes looked at him softly, practically in a daze; she opened her mouth to speak and Maul anticipated her words. "Why did you come back?" she asked her voice weary.

It wasn't the question Maul had expected, and he wasn't prepared to answer it. He shook his head and lifted her other arm to see if that too was broken. "It doesn't matter," he told her a moment later, getting up and leaving the room. Before he did so, however, he caught a quick glimpse of a small smile on her face—as if she knew something he didn't.

Maul ignored it and went to the kitchen; he opened the cooling compartment and searched out the pink drink she had given him. He was disappointed to find there was barely half a glass left. He poured it anyway and brought it back to her, putting it to her mouth and letting her sip from it slowly.

Naturri looked up at him and Maul took the glass away, setting it down on the bedside table. As he started to let her lay back down, she shook her head and put her hand on his arm. "You need to rest," he told her.

"I need you to stay with me," she said quietly.

Darth Maul looked at her with an unsure face—he wasn't the type to comfort people; but for some reason he couldn't refuse her. He propped up a few pillows so she was sitting up a little, but he could see that the little movement she made hurt her more than it should have. Maul sensed that her injuries were internal as well, and that could only result in one thing unless she got help.

"You need medical assistance," he said starting to get up again. "I'll take you to Tyrena."

"No," she replied simply, shaking her head once to the side. "I just want to stay here."

"You're talking nonsense," Maul told her, but her hand tightened on his arm. "You'll die if you don't get the proper treatment."

Naturri closed her eyes, but her small smile didn't waiver. "I know," she replied. "But they can't treat me without giving me the tonic."

"What tonic?" He asked quickly.

Naturri smiled and looked away for a moment. "The reason why that man couldn't die is because he supplied me with a medicine that kept me alive…as long as I gave him what he wanted…."

Maul's brow furrowed and he snarled slightly. "What do you mean? Why?"

Naturri didn't answer; instead she raised her hand to his face and placed her fingers on his cheek. The tips of her fingers grazed down his skin to his mouth and then continued down his chin until her hand fell to his lap. "I'm glad I found you, Darth Maul. I didn't mind you being here."

Maul didn't know what to say; he didn't even know if there was anything to say. He could feel her life slipping away before him, the sparkle in her brown eyes fading slowly. She lay back into the pillows and closed her eyes, but her mouth was still curled to express some sort of happiness.

He understood. She knew that death was inevitable—and she wanted to die there…with him, even though he had destroyed her chances of living before he allowed himself to learn why. Maul never understood why someone would devote themselves to one person for their entire lives, but if it was for the reason he was feeling now, he could learn to understand. A Sith Lord, powerful in the dark side of the Force, master in combat, Maul couldn't explain why he felt different towards this one individual.

Naturri looked up at him then, her hand resting on his by her side. "Will you answer me one thing?" Maul hesitated, but then gave a short nod. "Do you regret allowing yourself to love?"

Again she struck him with her questions. It seemed that she had figured him out before he could even do so—if one could even go as far as saying such a thing. There was lust, passion, perhaps attraction, but he never considered the notion of "love" as she spoke of it. Yet how could he be sure that's not what the strange, twisty feeling in the pit of his stomach signified? Maul had never experienced love before—it had never been something he searched for. He was taught to strive for power, to learn how to fight and be the best he could at everything…but not love.

Maul's eyes locked with hers and he could see the admiration she had for him in them. He didn't understand—he had belittled her, hurt her, even tried to kill her more than once, but yet she spoke of this love concept. Unless it was the other night she spoke of, but he doubted it was just that.

Finally he answered her; "No." After saying that, she raised his hand up with her good arm and pulled off his glove. Maul said nothing as she brought it to lie on her chest, just below her left shoulder. He could feel her heart beating slowly, the pace below the normal rate. Instead of keeping it there, though, Maul's hand crept up and caressed her face, his thumb brushing under her eye.

As his fingers followed the edge of her jaw, he could see her eyes closing. When his thumb brushed over her lips, her body sagged and her head leaned back and away from him. She was dead.

Darth Maul ran his hand through the tangled, wet mess of her hair, his eyes stuck on the features of her face. Even someone as powerful as a Sith couldn't undo death. Even if she had lived, there was little hope that she could stay with him—he couldn't lead the life of a simple peasant, doomed to work for a living day in and day out. His place was where it was now, and he would pick up where he left off.

Standing up and pulling his glove back on his hand, Maul stared at Naturri one last time. Without a flinch, he watched as her pet came hurrying in, its bony hands holding her angelic face and wondering why she wasn't reacting. Maul picked the creature up and carried it outside with him. He tossed it to the ground and shooed it away with his hand.

Holding on the handle of his lightsaber and activating one side to its full length, Maul walked to the side of the house where the circuit breaker sat in the shadows of a palm tree. With one, quick swing he struck it with the energy beam, the wires shorting and sparks flying. As he expected, it burst into flames and soon the whole side of the house was engulfed in fire.

Maul replaced his lightsaber at his side and pulled up the hood on his cloak. By the short time it took him to reach the open ramp of the Infiltrator, the entire house had been swallowed in the blazing flames, the wood and plaster crackling as it burned. Grayish-black smoke rose into the air, its height almost immeasurable as the rain and wind from the dying storm pushed it to the side.

For a few minutes Darth Maul watched as windows burst from the heat, parts of roof caving in and furniture inside melted. The dark side embraced him and he allowed it to flow over him just as the heat from the fire did. Without a second glance over his shoulder, Maul returned to the pilot's seat of his ship and turned on the engines. Within seconds the ship lifted off the ground and left behind Maul's first and only taste of a different life.


	14. XIV

**XIV**

For some reason Maul was in no hurry to get back to Coruscant. He put the ship at its full speed, but even so, he almost felt responsible for Naturri Karredine's death. If he hadn't been so selfish he could've taken her with him…

_No_, he told himself firmly. _She was nothing except a couple nights' show. Master Sidious wouldn't allow you to hold a bond with someone—especially someone like her._

Maul nodded to himself as he traced out the coordinates for the planet covered with one large city. Perhaps it would be wise to report to his master before furthering his quest for the Jedi. After all, Sidious was probably under the assumption that Maul had been killed, although his body hadn't been found. Then again, the Sith Lord had a way of knowing things…and Maul almost feared that his master knew of his behavior on Corellia.

No matter; he was sure to get a beating for failing his mission in the first place. His mistakes on Naboo were stupid and uncalled for. There was no excuse for what had happened, except his own carelessness. He detested the thought that he allowed himself to be taken by surprise by a mere Padawan learner. His master had every right to punish him.

Upon reaching Coruscant, Maul made the decision to head to his master's lair instead of continuing his tracking of the Jedi. Besides, there might be a more pressing matter that Sidious needed Maul to take care of instead of his yearning for revenge. Sidious had always told him that he needed to work on his patience.

Sidious had chosen a building centered in the sweep of city life for his hideout. The building was shared with a few other patrons, but neither force had ever met and would never have a reason to do so. Maul had a special port to hide the Infiltrator, one that was beneath the given surface of the normal lifestyle of the habitants on Coruscant. He brought it further down beneath the fogginess that separated the city from the dank and dreary underworld where lived a number or gangs, swindlers, and other unpleasant sights.

The hanger was situated on the side of the skyscraper, its doors opening horizontally as he commanded with the push of a button. The Infiltrator's engines died off as soon as the landing gear touched the surface of the large room. Maul reached into the Force for any sign of his master, having a strange feeling that the Sith would be there to meet him with anger and a feeling of betrayal. He was thankful to find he was alone.

Ascending the ramp and heading towards the elevator, Maul wondered what sort of lecture he was in for. Perhaps he would be pleasantly surprised to find that Darth Sidious was not angry with him and understood the misfortune his apprentice had undergone. Maul snorted to himself, knowing full well that such a thing would not be the case—at least it hadn't been since he could remember.

The doors to the elevator opened and Maul stepped inside, folding his hands in front of him after pressing the button to bring him to the top where his master occupied the whole floor. He called on the dark side to keep his emotions in tact, helping him channel what fear he had and using it to make him stronger. But the flight to the top was short and soon the doors pulled apart to reveal the entrance to his master's hideout. The moment he stepped out he could feel the power of his master inside; usually he kept himself hidden in case of a straying Jedi. Darth Sidious knew Maul was there.

The doors to the large and dark room inside opened and Maul walked with an unhesitant stride through; the doors shut behind him and he immediately fell to one knee and bowed his head.

Sidious sat in a high-backed chair behind a metal desk where several holoscreens were erected around the center. Maul kept his head facing the floor, one hand draped over his bent leg, the other flat against the metal-like tiles he knelt on. He didn't dare glance up as his master rose to his feet and came around from the desk; the Sith's body was completely covered in a long cloak that barely dragged on the floor. Only his hands and lower face could be seen from the darkness.

"Stand up," Sidious spat, his bitterness towards his apprentice evident.

"My master," Maul said after rising to his full height, his voice soft and still calm. "Forgive me for my absence, but—"

"Silence your tongue," Sidious intercepted quickly. "I don't need your excuses. I know of your failure against the Jedi. You killed one and allowed the other to get the best of you."

"Yes, my master," Maul agreed, his eyes darting to the floor once again.

"Pathetic," the Sith Lord said as he stood several meters in front of the Iridonian. "You were trained to destroy the Jedi, not to let them crawl out of the traps and run free. I have no use for failures like you."

Maul said nothing, but forced the lump in his throat to be swallowed. He could sense the intensity of his master's anger. He was surprised when the man spoke further instead of striking him down; "I take it your little vacation gave you ample time to recover from your wounds?"

Maul gave a short nod. "Yes, Master."

"And were, may I ask, did you escape to for the time?"

"I crash landed on Corellia," Maul said truthfully. "I was unconscious for almost—" His sentence was cut of quickly when he felt his throat closing tightly. The Dark Lord has his arm raised, his hand in a vise-like form and closing slowly. Maul's hands instinctively grabbed at the invisible collar that threatened to choke him. He could feel his feet slowly leaving the ground as his master used the Force to raise him.

"I do not tolerate failures, Darth Maul," Sidious said calmly as if what he was doing was fine.

Maul couldn't answer. He could feel the blood rushing to his head, his lungs trying frantically to catch even the slightest bit of air. His eyes shut tightly and his teeth bearing in desperation.

Then without warning, without a spare second to brace himself, Maul was flung backwards and into the wall next to the door. His back hit it straight on and _hard_, his body pausing for a brief moment before sliding down where he landed on his rear on the floor. For a second he thought his spine had snapped, but as he moved he felt that it was his already-injured ribs fracturing again.

Not about to show weakness, Maul moved to get to his feet, but before he could do so his lightsaber was pulled from his waist and landed in the open hand of his master. Maul's eyes watched his master look over his weapon.

"You're thoughts betray you," Sidious said smugly. "You're filling with more fear as we speak." Maul said nothing. The Sith Lord moved closer, but as he did a side door opened.

Maul glanced over to the middle-aged human that walked through. He was tall, well built; his face showed signs of age under his eyes and his whitening beard and hair distinguished him. Maul got to his feet, sensing great power with him and a surge of the dark side encompassing this human man's form.

"Ah, Count Dooku," Darth Sidious said with a smile. "I'm glad you could join us. Maul, meet my _new_ apprentice, former Jedi, Count Dooku."

Maul's mouth became dry, his heart skipped over a beat, and his eyes narrowed. His master had chosen a new apprentice—without sheer evidence that Maul had been dead! And a Jedi Master to boot! His blood began to boil, his fingers curling into his palms tightly.

"It was chance I came upon someone to replace you so quickly," Sidious continued, obviously enjoying Maul's reaction. "He has good connections and rulings over the Trade Federation; he'll be able to fill in the gaps you couldn't."

Maul listened, but with fury. He was still trying to digest the thought of his master, the one man he devoted his life to serving—he fell to his knees and practically worshiped the Sith Lord with a simple stare—only to be…betrayed by him and thrown away with no hope. Yes, he knew it was possible, and he understood that failing would lead to this…but he never thought it would actually happen.

"My Master," he spoke with a slight edge to his voice, "I live to serve you. I will pick up where I left off—it was nothing but a temporary setback."

Sidious snickered from under his hood. "My plan is at the point where there can be no setbacks. Dooku has more connections that are useful to me, where as you could easily suffer another bout of ill luck."

"If it is luck, then I have more good than bad, Master," Maul argued, which he automatically knew was a mistake. He didn't want to fall back on the memory of the last time he argued with Sidious.

The Sith Lord frowned. He tossed the extended lightsaber back to Maul's feet, who picked it up with the Force quickly. Without a word, as if Darth Sidious transmitted a message telepathically to Dooku, the ex-Jedi's lightsaber emerged into his hand and jumped to its full length, its red beam flashing in Maul's eyes.

Darth Maul activated both ends of his own weapon, preparing himself for the delayed attack from his new opponent. He would not play games with this piece of Jedi work…he would prove to his master that he was the better choice for a Sith.

Dooku hurled himself at Maul, his arms slicing down with his lightsaber to attack. The young Iridonian easily deflected the attack and brought the other end of his weapon around to deliver one of his own. The room was filled with the stuns and buzzing of the two lightsabers, attacks being matched and countered. Maul didn't allow Count Dooku to force him back; he made the offensive side, calling upon every technique he knew.

Maul caught at a quick glance a small smirk on his master's face. Perhaps this was a test; perhaps Sidious set this up to prove to him that he had to be on his feet at all times no matter what—with no setbacks. This thought only brought more motion into Maul's swings, angling his body as Dooku struck and ducked, swung and deflected.

The brief brawl had last long enough for Maul and he was ready to end it quickly—this wasn't as sweet as fighting the two Jedi in Theed Palace; this was a fight for survival. He came around hard, knowing Dooku would predict the assault, but instead of trying again, Maul leapt into the air, twirling his lightsaber around to confuse Dooku on the range of attack. Dooku took one step back as Maul anticipated and prepared himself for anything—except the kick to his gut Maul made as gravity pulled him back down.

The count stumbled back, using his hand to keep his body from rolling to the floor completely. He twisted around with anger spread over his face, his dark eyes searching Maul's calm form. "You're good," Dooku said in a deep voice, his mouth curling slightly on the right. "But you're confidence overwhelms you."

Maul felt like telling the man to shut up, but instead he used his energy to use the Force to drive the man further back, his boots skidding on the floor and finally losing balance with the more pressure Maul added to the invisible hit. Sidious chuckled, but Maul ignored the sound quickly. He wasn't finished with Dooku yet…he _would_ prove he was the better Sith.

While Dooku got to his feet, Maul whirled his lightsaber up and over his head and switched hands that held the blade in its resting position. He snarled at the human, his mottled teeth becoming visible between his red and black mouth for a slight moment. He hated this man; he used the dark side to put this hate into his body further, making him angrier and stronger for the moment. His muscles twitched as he walked towards the expecting count, his eyes steady on the target.

"That's right," Dooku provoked, "come at me as if you've learned nothing from Lord Sidious."

Maul growled to himself—how dare that Jedi insult him. He would pay…with his life. Again, Maul's feet left the ground, his body twisting, his right leg stretched out to kick the man, but his lightsaber ready for anything. The human did something similar; his body jumped to the side, using the Force to help propel his movement. Maul landed and turned around just in time to greet the single-bladed lightsaber. He drove Dooku back, slashing, swiping, and pushing with his weapon until Dooku was against the opposite wall with nowhere to go.

Maul smiled to himself, continuing the assault for a moment longer before delivering the final blow. Until, that is, he was hit from behind. His body froze, his muscles screamed, his mouth emitted a loud yell as he felt an electrifying zap jump at his entire backside and rake through his body.

He knew before he was able to force his head to glance over his shoulder that his master was using his own power of electric shock waves, bolts of lightning, to stun the Iridonian before he could kill Dooku. Maul fell back, struggling to keep a grip on his lightsaber. If he lost that, he'd lose completely.

Using the strands of energy, Darth Sidious pulled Maul away from Count Dooku and turned Maul around to face him. Maul fell to his knees, his body becoming weaker by the second, and his heart almost forgetting how to pump blood through his veins.

"Master!" He yelled out with weakening strength, but Sidious didn't say a word. Instead he looked as if he enjoyed every minute of Maul's anguish.

The Sith Lord stopped, giving Maul less than a second to realize that he had done so before Count Dooku's foot connected with the side of his head, tossing him to his back on the cold floor, the double-ended lightsaber sliding away from his hand. Maul moaned for a moment, trying quickly to regain his thoughts and body movements.

But Dooku had already kicked the lightsaber completely out of reach; the new Sith stomped down with the same foot, cracking all of Maul's fingers and his thumb into pieces. Darth Maul yelled out again and tried to pull his arm away, but Dooku kept his foot there. Maul's other hand shot out to do something, but Dooku kicked it away hard enough that it would leave a good-sized bruise on Maul's forearm.

From behind the figure of Dooku, Maul heard the cackling from Sidious. He arched his head up to look at his master, wondering why Sidious had allowed this to happen…why he had jumped in and attacked his own apprentice.

Maul watched, his eyes finding the harsh, cold ones of his master gleaming from under the dark cowl of his cloak. "Count Dooku," the Sith Lord said calmly, "…kill him."

Maul's heart paused when he heard this, but he knew that he had failed once again. There was no point in asking for forgiveness—if this was a test, he had failed. He had ignored the possibility that his master could attack him—if he had listened to his instincts, allowed the dark side to guide him more than it already was then he would've been able to jump away, making it so Dooku received the blow instead.

The bearded mouth of Count Dooku smiled and his brown eyes shifted to stare down at the helpless Maul. Darth Maul knew he could roll out of this and retreat—hopefully make it out—but with broken fingers there was no way of wielding his lightsaber effectively.

He was finished.

He knew this.

He accepted this.

And yet it wasn't as he had thought it would be. Maul had always expected anger, hatred, anything resulting in what made him so powerful as a Sith to be flowing through his body as he faced death, as he awaited the final strike from the red lightsaber held in both of Dooku's hands. No; it wasn't these emotions. He was calm; sober; at peace.

What surprised him the most, though, was what his mind quickly shifted to as his master spoke the simple words that would end his life at the hands of a Jedi-turned-Sith. Instead of dwelling of the fact that this man…this Jedi that his master had chosen to take his place was the one to end it all, Maul thought of someone else—Naturri. He couldn't explain it. She had meant nothing to him—he had told himself that several times, if not to the point where he was tired of telling himself that she was worthless, pitiful, a mere woman who could do nothing but flash around her body in a public scene for money.

Maul closed his eyes and relaxed his body. Could it be fondness? Or perhaps it was the satisfaction that he made her obey him and he could've controlled her if he so wished. For a split second, Maul wondered what would have happened if he remained on Corellia and never ventured away from her. Would she still be with him? Would he realize that perhaps, (although he had thought it useless and for the weak minded) that he loved her? Could he, Darth Maul, a Lord of the Sith, have been capable of loving one person, attaching himself to her and protect her from harm?

Maul's eyes shot open when he felt the hot fire of the lightsaber stab his mid-section. He could smell his burning flesh, and see a small trail of smoke rise from his singed clothing. Count Dooku waited for a moment, gazing at the red and black tattooed face as Maul winced in utter pain, his teeth clenching, his eyes showing that he was determined not to make any sound.

But as if Dooku wasn't satisfied with Maul's reaction, he plunged the end of the lightsaber into Maul's heart, this time making the dying Sith moan out with the pain. It brought a smile to Dooku's face and he backed away, deactivating his lightsaber and hooking it to his belt. Darth Sidious said nothing as he turned away to leave the room, Dooku doing the same.

Maul lay there, his lungs still attempting to gasp for last bits of air. He heard the door somewhere from the side open, but he couldn't be sure. He figured his master would send in a droid to pick up his carcass. Somehow, as if some invisible person pushed him, Maul was able to roll over to his side, but his body sagged and he stared ahead at the wall. He had done his duties…he had served his master until the point of his failure. But as Darth Maul exhaled one more raspy breath…he could only see images of her.


	15. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

Count Dooku followed his master into another room, away from the dying Iridonian in the main chamber. He had no issues killing his master's ex-apprentice. No; in fact he took much pride and joy in having the honors to end the miserable life of the one he replaced by Darth Sidious's side. He felt that the Iridonian was much too haughty for his own good, naïve in the acts of others, and above all too young to be of any use intellectually.

Yet what bothered him the most of the past few minutes was his master's choice to barge into the fight—he had his nemesis where he wanted him. The boy thought he had the upper hand, but Dooku was convinced he'd be able to out-do the Iridonian at his own game.

"We will go forth with our plans," Darth Sidious said suddenly, breaking Dooku's thoughts. "You are to join Viceroy Gunray and the Trade Federation. Navigate them to a new location. We will have to keep ourselves low in action for the time being. We can't do anything until Queen Amidala's terms are over. She's young, but more cunning than even I expected."

"Of course, my master," Dooku replied as he adjusted the chain that bound his cloak around his neck.

"You seem puzzled, my apprentice," Sidious said with a hint of amusement. Dooku was silent, but Sidious continued knowingly. "You're wondering why I interfered with your fight against Darth Maul?"

"It was unexpected," Dooku replied.

Sidious gave a small chuckle. "You feel Darth Maul was blinded by his unique skills with a lightsaber, yet you failed to see that his skills were above your own."

"I realize he was able to wield a double-bladed lightsaber," Dooku started, but he didn't further his reply.

"Darth Maul's fighting was exquisite," Sidious said. "He would've killed you at that moment had I not done what I did."

"Then permit me, my lord, why did you not keep him alive do go forth with your plans?"

Sidious smiled. "Something had changed in Maul; I sensed it the moment he entered the building. His mind wasn't focused on the dark side as it originally was. Whatever happened to him during his absence obviously struck him enough that his thoughts were on more than just serving me. I cannot have any disobedience, or a desire to fulfill self-motivated wishes."

"I understand," Dooku replied.

"You, my apprentice, have an advantage Darth Maul never could have had," Sidious said, but didn't wait for Dooku's next question. "You were once a Jedi and you understand them to the fullest point. Therefore you have the ability to counter them whenever needed. Maul only knew of what I told him and what he studied. Not having that experience was his undoing. Even the likes of a Padawan learner cannot be underestimated."

Dooku nodded. Sidious turned away from him and slowly walked over to the large glass windows of the room. "Now go and meet with Gunray. I will contact you in a few days time."

Count Dooku gave a short nod and bowed graciously. Turning on his heal, the Sith apprentice moved towards the door, his cape billowing behind him.

Darth Sidious stared out at the night sky and the vast city that was Coruscant. He was sure on his decision to extinguish Darth Maul. The years that it took to train Maul into what he had become—practically the Iridonian's whole life—was not a waste. He had proved useful in several tasks, which brought Sidious's plan to its current resting position.

Soon, though, Darth Maul's missions would be nothing compared to the assignments that lay ahead.


End file.
